


Fire and Ice

by rem_de_firinn



Category: Disney - All Media Types, Frozen (Disney Movies), Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure (Cartoon), Tangled (2010), Wiedźmin | The Witcher - All Media Types
Genre: Ahtohallan River (Disney), Disney Movies, Eventual Relationships, Eventual Smut, Explicit Language, F/M, Fluff, Original Character(s), POV Third Person, Romantic Fluff, Tragedy, Witchers Have Feelings (The Witcher)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-08
Updated: 2020-06-16
Packaged: 2021-03-02 05:35:28
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 13
Words: 44,648
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23539972
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rem_de_firinn/pseuds/rem_de_firinn
Summary: This story is written by my boyfriend, He wanted me to edit and publish it. It is combining the Witcher universe and the Disney universe, primarily the kingdoms of Corona and Arendelle. Ander is an OC with his own magical power, taken in by King Agnarr and Queen Iduna when he was just a boy. After a couple years, Ander leaves the kingdom to begin his witcher training, only to find that his natural abilities keeps him from completing his trials. After 16 years, he hears a call to come home, he feels he has no choice. Join him as he travels and battles a variety of monsters, both human and non, and rekindle friendships he once thought lost.
Relationships: OC/Elsa
Kudos: 5





	1. A Humble Request

The outside of the castle was in ruins, the fjord frozen over as a blizzard raged. Large stalagmites of ice jutted out the crumbling stone masonry. Bits of colored glass that had been shattered from the windows shone in the light of the full moon. Sun bleached banners strewn across the ground before a wall that no longer stand. The now paling teal shingles that once laid atop the gate came crashing down under the weight of the snow. "Where are you?" Ander yelled out. The only answer was the howling of the winds. He trudged forward, silver sword in hand. The familiar scent of iron came to him. Please don't be too late.   
Ahead he saw how the blood painted the snow. He knew his answer was ahead. He ran as the wind pierced his lungs; the elixirs were starting to fade. Blood loss made him lightheaded, if it weren't for the adrenaline he would have collapsed by now. "Fuck," he said lowly as he fell, his sword sliding away. The blizzard was starting to subside as his rush began to fade away. "Where are you?!" he shouted again after he regained his breath. Not even the wind answered. He looked onwards and saw what he had feared, a lithe woman with white hair and fangs standing over a familiar body.  
Ander awoke with a start, brow slick with sweat, chest heaving with an erratic breath always from the same dream, the same fucking nightmare. For weeks it's been the same thing, the same dream. In all honesty however he shouldn't be sleeping on the job, the griffin could have very well swooped down on him and have eaten him alive by now. Ever since the second conjunction, monsters have reentered this world after years of being extinct from it. Griffins in this area are particularly troublesome in the early springtime due to them trying to find new nesting grounds.   
Twang.   
"Tell us w'ere t'e princess is," a harsh voice commanded.   
Great, Ander thought. He rose, slung his silver sword over his back, took his crossbow and steel sword in hand, and went to see who or what was causing the ruckus. Not to his surprise it was three men, one towering over the other two, whom appeared to be twins, each in makeshift leather armor with swords around their belts, what was to his surprise was a woman, maybe in her twenties, readying herself for a battle since her horse was shot from under her. She had around her a cloak that looked well made bearing the symbol of a golden sun.   
The larger man drew a rusted, cheaply made sword taller than the woman's height.   
"Careful Crusher," one squeaked. He sported a broken nose that healed poorly and had thinning brown hair, a long face with large ears, much like his doppelganger. "If she dies then the whole kingdom will be on our arses."  
"Quiet Rat," Crusher growled. He swung at him with his backhand knocking Rat to the ground. "Mouse, 'elp your brother up."   
Mouse complied but grumbled as he did it. "He only means that she's worth more alive than dead boss, meaning no disrespect to you and your authority." From what Ander saw Rat had lost some teeth from the brutal smack.   
"Sorry boys but I'm not going to say a word," the raven-haired woman replied with an insolent tone. Brave words but Ander saw that her foot was trapped under the horse. He heard the griffin screech, maybe a few miles away if he's lucky. Fuck.   
"Then die youse stupid bitch!" Crusher took his sword, drew it above his head. He didn't get the chance though to finish his swing before a crossbow bolt became skewered through his eye.   
Rat screamed out. Mouse yelled at his brother to run to no avail, his brother's feet were like stone. The woman looked horrified at the protruding bolt as Ander ran up to her.  
"Can you run," he asked. The woman had dark shoulder length black hair and brown eyes. She didn't say a word, just looked as Crusher twitched. He heard the griffin screech again, closer this time, along with the pounding of hooves on the road.   
"You fucker," he heard Rat yell. Mouse was practically pulling his brother when he wretched free, sword in hand. "You'll pay for what ye did to Crusher." But Rat's footwork was sloppy, almost tripping before he had gotten to Ander. A deft stroke of his steel quickly removed Rat's hand. The man screeched in pain and went to his knees. "He has cat eyes, he's one of them freaks," he yelled as he slithered away.  
"He was merciful brother, look at his cat eyes," Mouse said before the griffin came down on him. The beast had driven its claws into the man's neck and shoulder, removing his head and left arm.   
It smelled the blood, Ander thought as he began lifting the horse from the lady. From what he could tell, the griffin was young and strong, with distinct scars across it's face and feathers of crimson red with a black mane like raven feathers. The woman behind him vomited. "Probably should have asked if you were squeamish first, now again can you run?"   
"Yes," she finally said shakily.   
"Good. Go that way, you'll find a horse and a small makeshift camp. Stay there until I come and get you. Understand?" Ander instructed. She nodded and ran off and not a moment too soon, for the griffin leapt towards them but was met with the sign Aard and was shoved backwards. "Not how I wanted to fight you, but it'll do." He could hear the horses coming closer and men yelling Cassandra. Now I at least know her name.   
The beast took to the skies again but came crashing back down when a bolt hit it in the back. The beast swung as Ander ran towards it, narrowly missing him but creating a small opening that he used to slash at the beast. Too shallow. This time the griffin connected with one of its powerful wings and would have eviscerated him had he not leapt to the side. Swinging once more with its powerful wings, the beast knocked him down and was on him before he could catch his breath. Fear choked him, for even though he was a witcher, his emotions remained intact. I cannot die here. Before the beast could drive its beak into Ander's chest he shot the beast with fire from the Igni sign. As the griffin screeched in pain Ander used the opening to slice the monster's throat open, blood flowing from the wound like a river. It made one more desperate attempt at an attack before dying but it was too slow for the witcher. The griffin stabbed through the side, putting the beast out from its misery.   
Ander reached for his knife and began to saw the beast's head off. Blood was slowly dripping from the blade as he carved. "What is going on here?" a man asked. Four riders, armed with swords and crossbows approached him. Another two guards stayed back along with a small woman. The man who asked the question was probably in his forties, balding with a beard that covered, what Ander assumed, at least half a scar across his left cheek.   
"Need to take something to a lord in these lands, got a contract for this griffin."  
"And these bodies?" The rider gestured towards the three corpses of Crusher, Rat and Mouse. Rat must have tried to charge the griffin because he was torn in two.  
"The big one was trying kill a woman, that's how he got a crossbow bolt in the eye. The little man over there was made shorter by the griffin and his brother tried to be a hero."   
"And are you a hero?"  
Ander did not care for the rider's tone. "No, I'm a professional. A hero would have rode in, grabbed the woman in distress or challenged these brigands to single combat, and those are luxuries I do not have the time. If I had made time for said luxuries then the woman would have died."  
"Judging from your attire and... eyes, I would say that you are indeed a professional," the rider sneered.   
Rage was building in Ander but before he could say or do anything the woman approached.   
"What happened to the woman," she asked. She was also a young woman, maybe in her mid twenties with brown hair and emerald green eyes.  
"Well princess, I will be more than happy to show you after I have my trophy. There's three hundred pieces for this griffin and I would rather not lose anything on this lucrative venture." The woman nodded and beckoned her guards back so Ander could finish taking his trophy.   
"Must you take the head," the lead rider asked.   
"Any fool can find a feather and say it's a griffin's feather. Hell, they may even find a griffin's feather but in my line of work lying to a lord paying you handsomely usually ends at the end of a rope." Ander explained. The rider nodded and left him to his extraction.   
It was a short walk back to camp, no more than ten, maybe fifteen minutes. The woman called Cassandra had thrown up, multiple times from the smell of Ander's site.   
"See, safe and sound," he said sarcastically. His mood was sour since the nightmare and dealing with the bandits didn't aid in any way. The princess went over and hugged the shaking Cassandra. He could see the fear in her eyes, but whether it was from witnessing the horrors in the forest or from being in the same company as Ander, he could not tell. "I assume that you are palace guards from the way you are dressed, these woods are dangerous this time of year with more than just young griffins lurking around, in fact I saw the markings of a fiend not too far off. Luckily you are in the company of a witcher who also needs to travel to the capital to drop off this head."   
The lead rider looked disgusted. "If you expect-"  
"We would be honored to have you in our company, master witcher," the princess said, cutting off the rider. She gave him a look and he quickly backed down. "Cassandra, let me help you on Max." The woman was still shaky but was able to get on the white horse. Ander went and strapped the griffin's head to the saddlebags of his horse before mounting it.   
"So why haven't you cleared these woods of those other monsters master witcher," the lead rider asked. "Surely someone of your stature could have cleared the woods of the beasts that lurk in it."  
"I have an even better question."  
"Go on."  
"Why sir knight, would you need a witcher when there is brave and, dare I say, honorable men free of the filth of mutations such as yourself who could do my job for free and be praised by your king and whatever lords you serve?" Ander said mockingly, "And if I may add, someone of your stature could have been made a lord, nay heir to the throne, by now if he took it upon himself to rid the woods of the monsters that lurk within. In fact when we get to the capital, I would recommend going to your king and demanding my execution for taking away the honor that you would have received for taking the head of the griffin I have strapped to my horse."   
The rider shut up after that. Judging from the snickering the lead rider was not well loved by his fellow soldiers.   
The ride back was quiet, painfully so, with the only sounds of birds chirping or the wind blowing. Maybe I took it too far with saying there was a fiend nearby, Ander thought. It was a lie, a cruel ruse used to shut up the lead rider. Unfortunately the lie had worked too well. Riders who made the slightest sound had daggers stared into them. The one who broke the silence was the princess.   
"Thank you for saving Cassandra. My name is Rapunzel." She had a sweetness to her. Where most people saw Ander as a freak or a mutant, she was kind.   
"Ander. There's no fiend by the way, well at least I hope there's not. I haven't been here long so I cannot say what is and isn't here."   
"So Ander, how long have you been a witcher?"  
"I started my training since I was ten, but officially joined the order when I turned thirteen so... roughly thirteen years."  
"So why did you join the order?"  
That was always the question that he hated being asked. Being a witcher was a choice, and not one taken lightly. Many of the boys die during the trials. Most choose the life because it means a hot meal and bed to sleep in, for before the second conjunction witchers would deal with monsters rarely.   
"That's a question for another time." Ander spoke lowly. The reason he had joined the order was to seek knowledge, and with that knowledge came sacrifices, but he obtained it, unfortunately the knowledge he sought came too late.   
"Oh," the princess softly exclaimed. Judging from her tone she sounded defeated.   
Ander sighed. "Someone... whom I considered family was hurt and I thought I could save her if I possessed certain knowledge. Unfortunately that knowledge came too late and I've been traveling since I was free from my contract to the order."   
"So why don't you go back?"  
There was a pause to the answer. "Because I'm the reason she lost her family. But... now I feel like I have to go back."  
"Is that why you're selling yourself like a common whore, killing monsters for coin," the lead rider scoffed at.   
Ander rode up to the rider and stopped their company. "One more word," he growled, "and the griffin will have company." He saw the other guards ride up, weapons in hand but the leader held up a hand to stop them.  
"Forgive me master witcher," he said, voice cracking. "I will watch what I say. My son... he wanted to be a witcher, last we heard he was about to undergo something called the Trial of the Grasses... after that nothing."  
The son probably died from the trial, so do most boys. "I am sure that he is fine. The mutations strip away most of their emotions plus being a witcher isn't exactly a career path where one can feel like human."  
Before the rider could say another word, Ander heard guards shouting orders. Last time I was here the walls weren't nearly as wide or well protected. Ever since the second conjunction, he had seen more and more walls placed, with walls in place to support others around them. Amazing what people can do not even a full year after a disaster.   
"I had best ride off," he said. "Thank you for the company."   
"Thank you for saving me," Cassandra said shakily. No doubt the girl will be scarred from the ordeal, but this was a thought Ander couldn't think of, for the last ship to Arendelle leaves tonight and the next one won't be back for some two months.   
He bid his farewell and rode off to the pub where he is supposed to meet the lord... was he a lord? With the dreams and nightmares, he had been having it went in one ear and out the other. All that mattered was the coin and three hundred pieces was just enough to set sail.   
The Ebon Rose, a fine pub for the rich, important and those who think themselves important. The outside was made from fine stone with a rose black as obsidian hanging from it. When Ander entered the place, he saw that a bard was singing a song and playing the lute, what he assumed was fine music fit for the lordly. Most inns and pubs generally stop and stare when they see a witcher, especially when they see a monster's head being carried in.   
"Ah witcher," a man said in a pompous tone. He was a fat man with wisps of a mustache, a poorly put on brown toupee and a overly large nose. Behind him there were two large men with clubs and fine leather jerkins. "So glad to see you're alive, and with my trophy!"  
By the gods this man... But he was the client and he had the coin purse on the table. "Yes, one griffin for three hundred pieces. I assume that you have the whole sum."  
"Yes... about that, you see," The portly lord said sheepishly, "due to the unfortunate circumstance that the griffin killed many a worker in the fields many families are wanting restitution for the beast making a meal from their family members and I unfortunately can only pay a sum of one hundred and fifty pieces."  
"Are you fucking kidding me?" Ander yelled, slamming his fist on the table with a loud crack. The two guards reached for their weapons, but the lord stopped them. The man himself hadn't even flinched. The music had stopped and people were finally staring.   
"No sir witcher, I am not fucking kidding you," The man stated with a newly found resolve. "These times are tough and as such we must compensate workers even more due to the risk of being eaten by monsters. I can pay two hundred pieces and will compensate this fine establishment for the table you just damaged provided you leave now. The other options are my men throw you out or the guards hang you, so please be on your way, I'd rather not have my appetite spoiled."  
Ander took the purse. He could hear the whispers, people calling him a monster, saying he should be put down if he wanted to act like a rabid dog. All insults I've heard time and time again. "If you really wish to cut back on costs you would be best to not eat as much, your lord fat ass."  
His lordship however did not make a move. People around him looked horrified that he was just insulted, and by a lowly witcher. "I believe it was time someone taught you a lesson in mannerism." The guards drew their weapons and moved forward but stopped when four royal guards stepped in. The two guards grew the cruelest smiles upon seeing what was to be assumed reinforcements to beat and hang this mutant.   
"Witcher Ander," a familiar voice called. It was the lead rider from their journey back to the capital. "The king has summoned you to his court."  
"Ah yes," his lord fat ass said with an airy tone. "No doubt his Excellency will imprison or hang this abomination for the disrespect he has shown to his superior. Which of you humble people brought the guards to apprehend this savage?"  
"We are not here to apprehend him. He has done no wrong."  
"Very well," Ander said, rising from his seat. He walked towards the guards, fully expecting them to draw their weapons. They did not. "And what, pray tell, is this summons about?"  
The lead rider walked forward to meet him. "Why, his majesty would like to thank you for saving the princess's handmaiden and offers you a stay in the castle."   
It took all he could to not start laughing. A witcher, actually staying in a castle and being rewarded like some knight. Ander looked back and saw that the lord had his mouth agape. "I will gladly follow you back to the castle."  
"First however we need you to change out of your armor. You need not worry, you shall be taken to the finest tailor to be fitted for a tunic. Do you wish for a shave and haircut as well? All of this is naturally being paid for by the king."   
All of this came as a surprise to Ander, for he had seldom won the favor of someone high in the hierarchy of today's world. "Thank you sir-"  
"Osswald," the rider said, cutting off the witcher. He held out a hand, which the witcher took. "Sir Osswald, lieutenant of the royal guard. Tell me, was the crack in the table due to a dispute between you and Duke Steffan?"  
Ander paused for a moment. "It was and, in my rage, I slammed my fist down too hard but do not worry, the duke has promised that he will take care of it." Ander slowly turned his head back to the flabbergasted duke as he grinned ever so slyly.  
"Very well, let us depart."   
First to the tailor where he had finally seen what three days in the woods had done to him. A dark beard was lightly creeping its way in, covering his face and hiding the scar across his right cheek from where a werewolf had taken a swing at him. He had been working with a more senior witcher at the time and they were working on curing the man of his lycanthropy. Ander's hair, which was black as coal and went to just above his shoulders, was also fairly messy, losing much of it's naturally waviness. Luckily the tailor had a brush that cleaned it up enough for him to put it in a ponytail.  
The ensemble that he chose was a simple one. A plain white shirt with black trousers, a black buttoned tunic and a long coat which went down to his knees. "I see the gentleman prefers the color black," the tailor said as he measured Ander. "I shall have this ready by tomorrow morning," he said once he was finished measuring him.   
"I'm sorry but I need to leave here tonight," Ander said. He was one hundred coins short though he could sneak aboard and be a stowaway for the time being. Osswald stepped forward.   
"Unfortunately the king's summons is not to be denied," he said. "He fully expected this to happen and will see you tomorrow at noon."  
"And if I refuse?" Ander asked, eyebrow raised.  
"Then you will be waiting for his majesty in the cells," Osswald sighed. "And I would prefer to not to put my men's lives in danger attempting to arrest a witcher."  
Ander saw no point in arguing, it seems he's answer was already given to him. What's two more months? Maybe if I'm lucky they'll be delayed and I can join them after this royal farce. "Very well Sir Osswald, I shall go willingly."  
"Splendid. Jacques, when shall this suit be done?"  
"I can have it ready by nine in the morning," the tailor replied.  
"Very well, I will have someone here by eight to pick it up." Osswald led Ander out. Most of the guards were gone, no doubt back at the castle. The sun was beginning to set by now, Ander could hear Jacques begin the preparations for his formal wear. "Tell me witcher, have you ever spoken to a king before?"  
"They taught us proper etiquette where I trained to be a witcher. You make more money if you sound like you're not some backwoods inbred. Don't worry, I won't be making a fool out of myself tomorrow."  
Osswald nodded and they rode off towards the castle. The castle hadn't changed much from the last time he was in Corona, the same balconies, the same spires, though more were lit this time. He could hear laughter coming from one of them.   
"I see that the castle has really livened up last time I was in Corona."  
"When were you last here witcher?"  
"When I was twenty. I had heard that the princess had been returned, taken by some witch due to her magic hair but I surmised that part was just a tale people told as it went down the line due to magic being rare, at least pre conjunction."  
Osswald stopped. "What do you know of magic witcher?"  
"Some say magic back then was the advancement of science and since there are no mages, real mages, who could naturally control it the scholars that tutored me deduced that magic had advanced science enough and eventually went in decline due to the human race no longer needing it. I heard one scholar say that magic had left humans because we burned mages at the stake centuries ago just because they had a natural affinity to it."  
"And have you ever seen evidence of this?" They continued forward, slower than their previous pace, however.  
"I have seen magic if that's what your asking. Hell, the signs I use are basic forms of magic. The magic I've seen however isn't like how I've read in books where mages had complete dominion over it. No, the magic I've seen usually consists of the elements or curses of some form or another, though I've heard stories of fairies in western countries, djinn to the south in the desert."  
Osswald didn't say anything for a moment. "And can these forces bring back loved ones?"  
"If you're speaking of necromancy, I wouldn't. What's dead should stay dead, pardon my bluntness."  
"I... understand witcher. I lost my wife when monsters began to reemerge. Some... giant with fur and horns dragged her off. I gave chase to no avail. They found her remains some two days later. That's when my oldest left, he wanted to take vengeance on the beast that murdered his mother."   
The rest of the ride was silent. Many young boys and young men joined the order post conjunction. At one point, five hundred applicants came to Kaer Ysgol, where they taught many a young witcher. The castle was in ruins however and couldn't fully support the would-be students until lords brought stonemasons and laborers to rebuild it. After a month the castle was passable. To Ander's knowledge, none have gone through the Trial of the Grasses and so far over one hundred students have died and fifty or more have left the order.   
By the time they had reached the castle, it was already dark. Sir Osswald, along with two other guards, led Ander to his quarters. His room was modest. Well, modest enough for it being in a castle. The golden symbol of the sun hung above his bed which he practically threw himself on after shedding his jacket and armor. Luckily neither piece was torn during the fight with the griffin. He was exhausted and would rather not spend time patching his armor. It was a soft featherbed, nothing like the straw beds he was used to getting in a tavern, with clean sheets and plushy pillows, comforts he had nearly forgotten. The window faced the sea which he could see the docks from. So far, The Mermaid's Throne had not departed for Arendelle. Maybe my luck has finally changed, he thought as sleep overcame him.   
You've already failed witcher, a voice whispered in his mind. She will die and I will drink her blood. You have failed and are oblivious to it. She will die and you will watch helplessly.  
He woke startled. Sweat rolled down his back. He leapt towards the window and saw that the ships from the night before were gone and new ones began to sail in. He wanted to scream, to throw the bed out of the window, but he kept his composure. There may very well be another way, he could always ride there, though the journey may kill Horse due to the speed he would need to travel by.   
"Maybe there's a dragon in the woods I can ride upon," he mumbled angrily.   
"There are no dragons in the woods my lord." Ander turned around and saw a short man holding his suit. "I have been sent by his highness, King Frederick, to bring you to court and while the ladies of the court would be most enticed by the muscles and scars across your body, I highly doubt the king will enjoy them." The small man stated with little emotion. "We've also prepared a bath to remove the foul odor that accompanied the lord."  
Ander took the clothes and headed for the bathing area. There, he combed his hair, making it cleaner than the mess he had from yesterday, this time no ponytail needed. "I thought the king didn't wish to speak to me until this afternoon," Ander inquired when he came out of his bath.   
"It is the afternoon my lord," the servant answered, passing him a towel. "King Frederick is a patient man, which is good for your sake. A lesser king would have had you flogged by now for such tardiness."   
After readying himself, the servant led him off to the throne room. The corridors were littered with guards and adornments befitting a royal castle. Guards bowed and hailed him as if he was an old friend as they passed by. A royal farce indeed. The throne room itself was luxurious. Stained glass and paintings depicting the royal family as well as the sun symbol of Corona hung on the walls, nearly covering every inch of the stone. Two crowds stood on both sides of the room, chattering away. The king sat upon his throne with a second beside him, awkwardly empty, and was dressed as a man of his stature should. He had on fine leather boots with gold inlay, a green tunic with black pants, a cloak that draped down the man's back and a gold crown was atop his head. He was a big man as well, as tall and broad as Crusher, who stood a head taller than the witcher, who himself is six foot. Behind him sat the princess, dressed in a simpler purple dress, and a man, maybe in his late twenties, with brown hair and a small goatee, dressed in fine leathers, who Ander guessed was the princess's husband, sat beside her. And behind them stood Cassandra. She herself was dressed in a simple white dress. She seems less shaky.   
The king rose and cleared his throat, silencing the room.   
"Witcher," he said, voice booming with authority. "I thank you for ridding the woods of the griffin and for saving the life of my daughter's handmaiden. The three brigands who attempted to kidnap my daughter were the last of a group trying to undermine my authority. Their deaths will hopefully mark a time where we can start putting resources to clearing the woods of monsters, so we do not have to endanger honorable folk such as yourself. The Duke Steffan came to me before you and said that you threatened his life. However, after learning that he had swindled you out of hard-earned coin, I dismissed him. You have our most humble apologies sir witcher. I name you knight of Corona along with a reward of your choice, whether it be land or lordship."  
"Your grace," Ander began with a more polite tone in his voice than normal. "I thank you for this opportunity, for due to the greediness of Duke Steffan, I was unable to board The Mermaid's Throne, a vessel sailing to Arendelle, a place I need to get to with most haste." He hated talking like this, but one must make sacrifices in order to get what they want in life. "I beseech you, lend me a vessel, your fastest one, so I may do my work there."  
"A most humble request," someone in the crowd yelled.   
"Make him the duke over Steffan, the dishonorable cur," another yelled. The crowd was on the witcher's side, a feeling he had rarely had in life.  
The king raised his hand to silence the room. "Ever since the death of my wife at the claws of one of those beasts, I have never forgiven witchers for their ineptitude, for the one we hired was unable to slay the beast or protect my wife. He hung later that night. We keep her throne sitting alongside mine as a symbol of her. And now, a witcher, whom I thought the most vile and repulsive mutant, has been given the choice of any reward my vast power can give him and all he wants is recompense for something one of my own dukes cheated him out of. A most humble request indeed. I shall grant this request to you, however, I have one request and one question."  
"Very well, what are your terms?"  
"You can deny both, do not mistake me for forcing my will upon you. You say you need passage to Arendelle? As it would happen Rapunzel and Eugene, her husband, are attending a wedding, her cousin the queen. For my request, I ask for you to watch over her and her husband. As for my question, what are your dealings in Arendelle? Is it business or personal?"  
"As per your request your majesty, I would normally gladly take this contract, for I am ahead in this deal but I cannot promise the safety of your daughter or her husband, though I can recommend that you take a small squad of guards, but only a little more than normal for as it would happen my transactions in Arendelle is both a personal and business matter. I do not know what it is that I hunt, for all I know it could be nothing but could very well turn into business and I would rather not have the monster I hunt to be alerted."   
The king laughed, which boomed through the throne room. "Very well witcher, pack your things for they sail in three days. I will give you a reward of my own since you didn't really get anything. My finest smith shall make you armor fit to stop the claws of a dragon."  
Ander bowed and was excused. Looks like my luck is finally changing.


	2. A Nightmare Come True

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 6 months after the second conjunction, Ander returns to Arendelle after leaving over 10 years ago. With wedding preparations ongoing and guests pouring in from all around to wish luck to the happy couple, Ander is hit with a serious case of deja Vu, one that could turn deadly.

"So why are you needing to go to Arendelle," asked Eugene. Ander wasn't much of a conversationalist and no doubt the man was attempting to break the silence. Cassandra and Rapunzel were getting ready in her quarters, leaving Eugene out on the main deck alongside the witcher. 

"Probably nothing," he replied. He himself was already to make landfall as were the half a dozen guards and Sir Osswald. Ander sported a set of glasses with specially made darkened lens that hid his cat-like eyes and a large black cloak over his newly made armor, a strong chain shirt made from fine steel but did not hinder the witcher's movements. The first day he received the gift he wanted to test it by blindfolding himself and seeing how well he moved against attacks by the guards. His reflexes weren't slowed, and his leather jacket could still fit over the new armor. "But if it is something my money's on a vampire."

"Those exist," asked the voice of Rapunzel behind him. She had on a more elegant purple dress and fine brown leather boots. Cassandra was behind the princess in her handmaiden outfit but the witcher could see hints of leather armor under it. 

"Yes, as do lycanthropes, strigas, basilisks, and other foul beasts." He could see the docks, maybe half an hour away. "Vampires however have their own hierarchy, classified as higher and lower vampires. Higher vampires do not need to consume blood, it's more like a fine wine and they're intelligent creatures whereas lower vampires are savage and need blood to survive and are unable to come out during the day."

"So how do you plan to stop it if it's a vampire," Cassandra asked. "A stake through the heart? Why not spread garlic throughout the kingdom? Have you ever fought one before?"

"That's just local superstition. And yes, I've fought them and had dealings with one. Oh, don't give me that look, the vampire that I have dealings with is a true higher vampire, not some bruxa or katakan, but one that could only be truly killed by a higher vampire." 

"And what's the difference between a true higher vampire and other classifications of higher vampires," the princess asked, her voice full of worry.

"It would be significantly cheaper to drop a castle on a higher vampire than to hire me to kill it. Though Godfrey and I worked up a concoction in case I was ever... unfortunate enough to run across one. An oil mixed with wolfsbane, dimeritium dust, essence of fire, and some of his blood. It stops their regenerative capabilities."

"And if that fails? Then what?"

"If it's a true higher vampire and the oil doesn� t work then you run while I keep it busy. With any luck I can separate the head long enough for me to cut it in two. Then we bury it inside stonewalls and hope it won't regenerate fully for a few centuries. But I doubt it's anything." He looked on ahead and saw a crowd around the docks, though none appeared to be sailors. "Are we one of the last ships to arrive?"

"We are m'lord," answered the captain. A skinny man with a great beard that hid pox scars. "We were delayed due to-"

"I'm going to go out on a limb here and say that the queen is coming to meet you," Ander asked Rapunzel. 

"Well... Anna does was to make us feel more welcomed since last time we had to leave early."

"From the sound of things, we didn't miss much," Eugene said, piping in. "Her sister froze the fjord and nearly put-"

"Look," Ander began sternly, "if I'm found out, whatever creature is here, if any, might end up running. It cannot get out that I'm a witcher. I was hoping to be more discreet, but it looks like that's not going to happen." He pulled the cloak over his head with a huff. "I'll be behind you, right after the guards." Before he could speak again, they had already docked. The crowd cheered, mostly Arendellian people with other he hadn't recognized but after a quick observation he deduced that the foreign people were Northuldra. Looks like what the stores said were true, she found Ahtohallan. If what the most popular hypothesis is true, this also marked the start of the second conjunction. The lands of Northuldra always had a natural affinity to magic that had traces of the first conjunction. 

People were starting to depart. Ander saw the queen and her sister. The stories failed to mention that Anna had become queen and Elsa had stepped down which surprised him. Anna had her hair up, still that ginger color she had as a child, and she wore a black and green dress befit for the queen. She let her hair down, he thought when he gazed upon her older sister. She herself wore a white dress that sparkled in the sun, no doubt ice hung from it from the way it shone as the sun was hitting it. Hopefully almost twenty years is enough for her to not recognize me. It was imperative that he not be discovered. He breathed the air in deeply. The salt from the sea hung heavy in the air, but so did another scent. "Blood," he whispered. And from what he could see there wasn't a market nearby or a butcher's shop where it could be mistaken for animal's blood. 

"Welcome to Arendelle cousin," Anna said cheerfully. Still the same, Ander thought. Anna had always been welcoming and kind, both of them had. Even when he was a child brought to the king after his village was burned down, they welcomed him into their home. "I hope you had a pleasant trip."

"We did," Rapunzel replied. "The seas were calm. Sorry for the delay, there was a setback in Corona, but was taken care of by a hero." 

The comment almost made Ander laugh but he fought it. He noticed that Elsa was staring at him inquisitively. "Rapunzel, who is that man in the cloak," she asked.

"Oh, that's just A-"

"Alexander, Your Grace," he said quickly, cutting off the princess which the Arendellians did not enjoy. They probably think me some stuck-up prick who holds himself higher than a princess. 

Elsa just stared at him thoughtfully. "Have we ever met before... Alexander?"

"Why your grace, if I had ever met such a beauty as yourself, I doubt that I would have ever left the kingdom." All the pompousness and etiquette from Kaer Ysgol was returning to him. Play the part of a fool, let them think you are just here for the wedding. You cannot afford to be conspicuous. 

The compliment made her scoff lightly. "And will you be joining us for the wedding?" 

"As it would happen, I have business elsewhere." He bid his farewells and hurried off before the conversation went too deep. How in the good name of the gods can she still sense my magic? In order for him to undergo the trial of the grasses, Ander had to have his magic stripped away from him. They failed to completely remove it, hence why he himself wasn't a full witcher and why his emotions lay unaffected. I guess it's true what they say, people with magic who spend a good amount of time with one another and bond tend to be able to sense the other person out even years after not seeing one another. 

"What was that?" whispered the voice of Cassandra. She had snuck away and was in leather armor with a sword slung across her back.

"Can you keep a secret?" She nodded. "I grew up here, specifically with the queen and her sister. I... was alot like her. I was born with the power of fire similar to how she was born with ice except I had to have my powers stripped away from me when I was a child."

"So why not tell her that?" She asked impatiently.

Cassandra followed Ander to where the blood scent was starting to become clearer. "Two reasons. One: I think it's her or Anna in danger. If there is something, I don� t want it fleeing. The second reason is people with powers who bond over a period of time tend to become connected. I could still feel her up until... six maybe seven years ago but I was hoping that she had shut off that connection."

Cassandra stopped and stared at him. "What happened exactly?"

"I just left," he answered softly, "In order for me to undertake the trials to be a witcher, I had to have my own natural powers stripped form me... very painfully. I died during the procedure and didn't wake up until two days later. I've always speculated that she felt me die. So why bring up the past from a friend who died years ago?" However, it did open old wounds for Ander. "Do you know when the wedding is?" 

"Not for another week," Cassandra replied. "But tonight, there's to be a celebration welcoming all the guests. 

"It would be easier if we could talk to local authorities, find out if anyone is missing." He doubted it was anything but suspected a vampire judging from how his dreams went. "Maybe any recent murders."

"Do you really think it's a vampire?"

"Vampires, especially bruxa, are incredibly efficient when sneaking into a major city of any kind. Wouldn't surprise me if one or two made Corona their home." That horrified Cassandra from what Ander could tell. "Don't worry, most vampires don't want to deal with mobs of people or witchers, for even though we are few our methods for killing them are much more effective than when our predecessors first began hunting them."

"How many vampires have you actually fought?"

"Fought or killed?"

"Both."

Ander pondered for a moment. As they walked the scent of blood grew stronger. He pulled out a piece of paper and wrote the following. Speak normally, no witcher business. Lair nearby. Recommend you leave. 

He showed the paper to Cassandra and instead of running she slid her arm under his. "Why dear, I do not think it would be wise for me to leave just yet," she said giving him a wink. He nodded in understanding as she continued. "So tell me, do you think you will find business here, my dear?"

Ander stopped in front of a home, abandoned from what he guessed. This is where the scent originated from. "Why certainly love," he replied. "In fact, I think we have found a place to set up shop."

They waited until nightfall. People were making their way to the castle in droves making Ander and Cassandra's breaking and entering easier since there were no witnesses. The moon was full, and rain was coming down slowly. Lucky we found the lair before this came down, would have made it harder to find the scent. Luckily the locks weren't in place and they simply pushed the door open, swords in hand, Cassandra had her steel and Ander his silver, both blades wiped down with basic vampire oil. 

The inside of the home wasn't empty, in fact, it had furniture, albeit dusty and covered in cobwebs. They searched the rooms one by one, Ander keeping a close eye on Cassandra. She was brave, but she was no match for a vampire. Their search of the upstairs rooms and downstairs proved fruitless. Maybe I was wrong about this place. They had sat out all day and kept a close eye on the comings and goings of the home and tried to remain inconspicuous. Maybe the creature caught wind and left. 

"Ander," Cassandra said in a hushed tone. She pointed at a hatch, covered by a rug under the table.

The hatch led them to an underground lair, the smell of blood hung heavy in the air. Ander heard a woman whimpering in one of the halls. Thankfully there were torches hanging on the walls, for they hadn't brought any of their own. They followed the stone hall down until they reached an antechamber. The sight horrified even Ander. A naked woman was strung up by her hands, with the ropes being so tight around her wrists she bled from them. Two more bodies also hung beside her, one on each side of the woman but both of them looked dried out. "Please," she whimpered. Ander could see the tears rolling down her cheeks. 

Cassandra started walking towards her but stopped. "What if she was turned," she asked in a hushed voice. 

"Vampires cannot make new vampires, they're only born," he replied. Cassandra proceeded towards the woman and cut her bonds. The woman practically leapt on Cassandra, weeping and holding her tightly. 

"Thank you," she said, sobbing. "I thought she would be back." She? Then it's a bruxa, should be easy enough. The woman began weeping violently. "She drank my brothers, I don't know how long I've been down here. Ever since the skies turned crimson that night I've been down here. She said she needed to regain her strength and wait for the full moon, that she wouldn't be a match for the queen's sister.� 

Ander's heart sank. It's a bruxa, it has to be a bruxa. But a bruxa cares not when it drinks the blood of a desired prey... but one class of vampire does. "Cassandra, get her out of here. I need to get to the castle." Before either woman could say a word, he ran off. Please be wrong, he thought. He practically flew up the ladder and began running towards the castle, only stopping to start to wash his blade in the river. If what Godfrey says is true, I don't want to mix the oils. But he also couldn't afford to waste the special oil he and his vampire friend made. The substance was black like a starless night sky and thick. Better safe than sorry. He took a handkerchief and put a little of the substance on it and wiped his blade down. 

He heard screams upon arriving at the castle. His medallion was humming, indicating magic was in use. She's fighting it. He heard as ice crashed through the walls, signifying where he needed to go. He drank one of his elixirs, the vile tasting substance began to take effect almost immediately, making his senses sharper and reflexes faster. He saw as people ran past him, some tripping into the fountain. He drew his crossbow out. What guards that weren't shepherding to people tried to give chase but the young witcher was too quick. He ran headlong into a crowd that parted like the sea against strong rock. Please don't be late. He could also smell blood and looked around and saw sir Osswald, his face nearly clawed off and his entrails lying on the floor. No doubt he was first to try and stop the beast. He came crashing through the door to see that the vampire had Elsa pinned with one of her heels.

"I've heard tales of your kind before witcher," she said. She appeared to be a young twenty-year-old woman, white hair, and fair complexion, the only difference was her eyes were red like rubies and claws extended from her nails, maybe adding four or five extra inches. Hopefully they don't go much longer. "Tell me witcher, how much are they paying you for my head? I can assure you I can pay it back tenfold... by letting you walk out of here with your life."

"Ander," he heard someone yell. Rapunzel, he guessed. Fuck, he thought. Elsa's eyes grew wide with disbelief. The vampire noticed her prey� s facial expression.

"My, it seems my meal knows you and judging from how erratic her heart beats now... I say you're a friend, or is it a lover? Mutants such as yourself must stay together after all love."

"Bold of you to call us mutants when you yourself are nothing more than a blood sucking leech," Ander retorted. He was angry. He fired a bolt, but it had missed, the vampire leaping up into the rafters. He dropped his crossbow and took a defensive stance. 

"Tell you what witcher, I do enjoy good sport before a meal and the good... piggy down there was quite dull. Don't worry, you won't live to see me drink her."

"Wait," Elsa cried out. "It's me you want, let everyone else go." But before she could add anything else the vampire came crashing down like a comet, claws pointing at her. 

"No love," the vampire began, cupping the woman� s chin. "I don't think I will. grief makes for an excellent additive and I do enjoy a good sport, your sister would have been quite boring and more than likely would have spoiled my appetite." She turned towards the witcher. "Now then witcher..." Her claws began growing, now approximately ten inches in length. "Shall we dance?"

Before he could say anything witty, the beast was upon him. Had it not been for Yrden, a witcher sign that acts as a magical trap to slow monsters, no doubt the blow would have been more damning. He was able to parry her attack away, spun around and slashed but the vampire quickly leapt off making the blow too shallow.

"I see you've been with Godfrey," she said. "Fucker always did hate vampires for being vampires." Ander saw the wound, it wasn't healing and looked like it was beginning to fester lightly. "I'll have to pay him a visit after I've painted this kingdom a nice red." He saw ice come flying off, but the monster deflected it. "Now love, wait patiently... you'll get your turn next."

The vampire led the dance, this wasn't a bruxa or a katakan, but a true higher vampire. Ander had to quickly throw Yrden once more after the previous one had disappeared. Dodge, parry, pirouette, it was all he could do to not have his stomach ripped open and the monster gave little in way of an opening. Occasionally, he saw ice come flying towards them but each time the monster either took the less damaging attack that it knew she could heal from or smacked it away when Ander was too far to make a connecting blow. He shot Igni at her, but she was too nimble, even inside the magic trap of Yrden and none of his blows were connecting. The only one that connected was the first blow. The vampire was having more luck however, slashing his body, but each blow was shallow and lazy. She's toying with me, he thought angrily. 

But suddenly the tides of battle were changing. The vampire's attacks were becoming duller and slower, even her claws began to rescind. Eventually a shard of ice crashed into the back of her head. She turned and saw that her prey wasn't ready to back down without a fight just yet. This gave Ander just enough time for a quick slash, going from navel to chest. The monster screamed in pain and went into a rage, pushing Ander back and pinning him to the ground and pushing his sword out of arm's reach. She drove her fangs into his neck and began drinking. He had already began losing blood from the slashes she had already inflicted upon him but now he was lightheaded, fighting unconsciousness as she was on him. He heard a scream. Was it Anna or Elsa? He couldn't tell. By instinct he grabbed a small vial with a thick black substance and smashed it onto her head. The vampire screamed in agony, which only became louder when Ander shot the head with Igni. She was flailing around as the throes of death came upon her. She hurriedly extinguished the fire from her head, leaving scars that burn victims have, her vampiric regeneration unable to heal her. Before she could react, Ander was up, shaky but up, and with sword in hand he severed the beast� s head from her body. The blow was sloppy, Ander went to his knees due to the exhaustion and he began spitting up blood.

"I suppose I have some explaining to do," he said before crashing to the floor. He could feel the blood leaving his body, his adrenaline rush fading fast. He heard someone yell for a Kristoff and a doctor before blacking out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let us know how we're doing! Please leave is a comment down below. The next chapter will be posted April 21st, so stay tuned.


	3. A Heart's Desire

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With the occurrence of the vampire nightmare come true, Anna realizes how physically weak she really is. She asked Ander train her, the only problem is; Ander doesn't train soldiers, he trains witchers. Anna also confides in Ander about Elsa, worried that her sister's night terrors of the second conjunction will cause Elsa to slip back into herself.

"He's waking up," someone yelled while running off. Ander couldn't recognize the voice. His head was swimming and his abdomen ached with a dull, constant pain. He was lying in a bed, not unlike the ones at a tavern. Am I still in the castle? he wondered. He rose slightly, only for the pain in his stomach to worsen. The vampire got me better than what I imagined. He flung the sheets off him revealing the bandages around wrapped around him along with fresh stitches. The adrenaline must have dulled the pain during the battle. He could hear footsteps approaching the room but couldn't make out how many were coming, was it three or four?

Anna was the first to enter the room. Ander could see the bandage around her forearm. The vampire must have took a swing at her before I arrived. A tall, broad man with blonde hair entered next behind her followed by a... snowman? Elsa came in last. He could see the frustration on her face.

"You know, there's easier ways to see me with a shirt off," he said to lighten the mood. It only really worked on Anna who had tears rolling down her face, the jest left Elsa unfazed. She approached him and the next thing he felt was the sting of her hand across his face. She's pissed.

"Forty-seven," she said coolly. "That's how many scars the doctors found across your body. One of them said he hadn't seen so many even across veterans of war." Ander could see her fighting back tears, her eyes becoming bloodshot. He also noticed the dark circles around her eyes. "You've been in a coma for six days... and you want to make jokes?" She left slamming the door behind her.

"Ander," Anna began. She had a sadness to her voice. "Elsa's been going through a lot lately. I'm sorry for what she did."

"No apologies needed," he said, slowly sitting up. "Judging from the circles under her eyes she's lacking sleep or at least a good night's worth." He understood her anger, her frustration. He had been gone for sixteen years, not a word to either sister and he comes back and says nothing to Anna or Elsa, which he was hoping that he wouldn't have to reopen old wounds. "So... since I've been in a coma for six days then today should be your big day. I take it you're the blushing groom?"

"I am," the man answered. "But-"

"The wedding has been postponed," Anna said. "Something about decapitating a vampire turned away quite a few people, many call you the Hero of Arendelle since you saved Elsa and I. We've been trying to find a different time for it but... Arendelle has been going through so much these past six months. Oh, before I forget this is my fianc�e Kristoff, and the little guy is-"

"Hi, I'm Olaf and I like warm hugs," the snowman said cheerfully. Ander could hear his medallion humming.

Roughly six months ago, the second conjunction took place and due to their proximity to Ahtohallan no doubt the kingdom had suffered greatly. "At least you both are ok."

"Elsa," Kristoff began, "was in Northuldra when it happened. The sky lit up a red color. Me, Anna and a few guards went to try and save them but..."

Ander knew what the silence meant. She probably has night terrors. "What happened?"

"Elsa tried to hold them back but there were... things that she couldn't stop," Anna said. She looked down in sadness. "When we got there the forest was on fire, people running, screaming... dying. A monster came crashing through the forest... it looked like an elk but had one eye and was nearly as tall as some of trees. It smashed and gored people. Elsa... was helpless. Every night she has nightmares about that and other monsters. It got so bad at one point that her powers started to freeze the room she was in. I tried to stay with her but..."

"You got caught up in the ice." He knew what she was going through for the same things. "It sounds like you ran into a fiend. Nasty monsters, ran into a few of em. Once I can get back up, I'll head north and deal with it."

"Ander no," Anna said sternly. "Elsa has been here almost every night crying because you got hurt. She blames herself for it because that... thing wanted her. We've both always seen you as family and neither one of us want anything to happen to you."

Ander just sat there. What could he say? This was the family that took him in, this place was his home, but he knew he couldn't stay here forever. "Look... I may know a way to help your sister. Judging from the way she stormed out she's pissed, that's obvious but maybe I can help with the night terrors. I know some magic that can help, not just witcher signs."

Anna sighed dismally. "Kristoff, Olaf can you give us a moment?" The two nodded and left. Anna pulled up a chair and sat down. "Ander... tell me what happened. Why were you gone for so long?"

"After the accident with you and your sister I left, I wanted to try and find someway to help Elsa. I ran into a fiend, a young one, starving too. I was able to outrun it for a bit. Next thing I know, here comes a witcher, steel sword in hand shooting fire at it, didn't know they hated fire or else I'd have sent it screaming,� Ander continued. � I... thought I found what I looked for in the witcher. He gladly took me in as an apprentice. There were... complications." He paused. This was something Ander hated talking about. His past. "My own magic interfered with the grasses, an alchemical substance used to turn boys into witchers. That was only one problem, the other was I needed to sign a magical contract, one that bound me to the order for ten years. So I had my powers stripped from me and signed the contract. I died twice that day, once as they stripped my powers and the other time was during the trial of the grasses. But they didn't get everything, my powers stopped them from completing the trial leaving me with my emotions intact. After three years of training, they thought my training complete and sent me to a neighboring lord. I was to be a fencing instructor. I lasted about six months before my hubris took over. The lord's son was an idiot, couldn't learn the basic forms. He knew this too but found it amusing to see the mutant work. There was a rebellion and instead of defending the lord I was sent to, I stood to the side as they murdered him. Turns out the son wasn't an idiot, he just played dumb so his father would let down his guard. As I walked away someone ran towards me, some fourteen-year-old kid.... I didn't mean to& I tried to reason with the boy, but he blamed me for the murder of his father since I didn't do anything but remained neutral in the ordeal... I don't think you need me to finish this story. I went back to Kaer Ysgol and went back to training."

"I'm sorry," Anna said somberly. Ander could tell that she meant it too. This was the first time he's told someone the story like this. "The doctor said you should be able to go back to your normal routine in a couple of days. I know she didn't say it, but Elsa is grateful, I'm grateful, and we both missed you. Mother and father said you had ran away. How old where you when..."

"I died?" She nodded. "About thirteen so you and Elsa would have been nine and twelve."

"Oh," she said sadly. 

"She felt it didn't she?"

"I don't know but... I heard her crying in her room around that age and even mother and father couldn't calm her down."

I tried so hard to be a hero that all I did was cause more suffering. 

"So what can you do to help Elsa?" Anna asked. 

"It's an old spell, something that helped me as a child, it's most of a lullaby really. My mother knew it even though she had little magical capabilities. Though I don't know if it'll work and I doubt your sister will... appreciate me in her room while she's asleep."

"Are you going to leave after it's done?"

The thought of him staying here in Arendelle has crossed his mind before but... he couldn't. There was too much pain here, most of which he had caused. "I was going to leave after a full recovery and judging by the handiwork it'll take at least two maybe three months."

Anna rose from her seat. "I'll sneak you into Elsa's room when she's asleep, but I want something from you."

"Anything." 

"I want you to teach me to sword fight. Ander, I am so sick and tired of having to be saved, of not being able to defend myself. I've tried to have Mattias get me an instructor, but he says that it's not needed."

Fierce, that's the word that could describe the woman before him. She's changed from the little girl he knew and has blossomed into a strong woman. "It won't be easy," he finally said after a moment. "You'll be covered in bruises, you'll discover muscles that you never knew existed. Are you sure you want to do this?" The woman nodded. "Have someone make two wooden swords, find one that can keep a secret. Last thing I need is to have your sister's cold fury down upon me."

"Thank you," Anna said. She bowed and left, leaving the witcher to his bed. Not even an hour passed before they brought food to him. Bread and stew, nothing extravagant but it was nourishing. He put his medallion back on and laid his head back down and rested. 

The vibrations woke him in the middle of the night. The moon was high in the sky on this cool summer night. He grabbed a shirt and fresh pants that hung from a chair and changed into the new clothes as he listened to footsteps grow closer. Anna quietly opened the door and was surprised to see him ready. 

"Follow me," she said quietly. And so they snuck off. The pain in his abdomen was starting to subside. Thankfully it was a short walk down the hall and up another story. As they grew closer to, what he assumed, Elsa's room the medallion went from a gentle hum to greatly vibrating. He noticed that as they approached the temperature was starting to drop. When they arrived at the door, he could see ice hanging from the top of the door frame. 

"She's having a nightmare," he whispered. Anna confirmed this. He slowly opened the door, luckily it wasn't too iced over. He didn't want to wake her. She'd probably throttle me. 

"You're not going to send me away," Anna asked quietly. 

"No. You've grown into a strong woman, you're free to make your own decisions. Plus if your sister wakes up then I need someone to talk her down before she spears me with ice and unfortunately I'm at the perfect handicap where she could do it with ease."

Anna didn't say a word, she just stood at the doorframe. Ander could hear her shivering, the woman hadn't even taken a coat and only wore a nightgown. He sat at the side of the bed, Elsa's back to him. He could see the trembling in her body, and it wasn't from the cold. And he began the incantation. He didn't know what the words meant but he knew they were elvish in origin, something that he learned in Kaer Ysgol. How his parents came across this he didn't know. It sounded like a romanticized version of Latin though and was quite beautiful even for someone who had no musical talent such as himself. 

Ander saw the ice rescind and the trembling stop after a while. When he leaned over, he saw peace in the woman's face. When he rose he saw Anna crying softly. In all honesty he had forgotten the woman was there. He quickly and quietly went towards the door. "Are you okay," he asked.

"Mhmm," she said, sniffling and fighting hard against the tears. "I think that's the first night Elsa's been like this. I've gone to check on her for months now and I've always seen her just shaking." She threw herself at the witcher, much to his discomfort, and began to sob quietly. 

"We need to go," he said softly. "It's an early day tomorrow. After breakfast meet me in my room. Do you have a place that's secret?"

"I do but what about your stitches?"

"I'll be fine." They went back to the steps and went their separate ways, Anna to her room and Ander to his. When he arrived, he quickly fell asleep in the bed and for the first time in a long time his sleep was peaceful. 

Morning came too soon. Ander was feeling much better though, the pain was nearly gone. The servants had brought him some eggs which he happily ate. He had little knowledge of luxury but could get used to this for the next few months. Anna entered the room shortly after he finished his eggs. She was dressed in a long purple jacket, leather pants and a green shirt. The only flaw was her shoes had heels, albeit small heels, and her hair was down. 

"Lesson one," Ander said, "wear shoes that have flat soles to them and wear your hair up. Footwork is important and having your hair down is a liability. If you slip, you die, if they can grab your hair, you die. It's an unfortunate fact about life. Now go change." Anna left and came back shortly. This time her hair was up, and she had on plain leather boots. The pair left Ander's room and went into an empty large room. The castle was large and no doubt some rooms were bound to be empty. "No one knows about this right? Good, now take your stance." He threw her a wooden sword which, surprisingly, she caught it. She planted her feet firmly and held the sword in the dead center of her body. 

"I've been watching Kristoff train with General Mattias, so I've picked up a few things," she said proudly. 

"And your form is impeccable for a soldier, but I'm not training a soldier, I'm training a witcher. Soldiers use that form to support a shield wall, do that and more than likely you'll end up dead, you leave too much exposed by doing that." He showed Anna how witchers hold their stances, at an angle, elbows bent and the sword at a low angle. "We'll start with simple motions, you'll defend and I'll attack. I'm going to number your defensive positions one through five. One, two, three, four, five. I'll call out which numbers and you try to defend against the attacks." 

They went on for roughly two hours with the basics. Anna was a quick study, no doubt she had been practicing alone after watching Kristoff and Mattias. Eventually her sloppy skills were beaten out of her, quite literally. They then moved to defending while moving and, to no surprise due to her love of dancing, her footwork was impeccable, only few flaws which she corrected after a few thwacks from Ander's wooden sword. 

"Not bad," he said. "You've died less times that I did when I first started." Sweat was dripping down his back and he could see it running down the woman's face. She was out of breath, a few fresh bruises on her arms already began to show. 

"Thanks," she replied. "I've got a good teacher."

"I would hope so. If I was bad at swinging a sword then we probably wouldn't be having this conversation. I think this is a good place to stop, same thing tomorrow, I'll meet you here." They went their separate ways. It was evening, no doubt suppertime. After a light meal, Ander meditated until it was late in the night. From there we went back to Elsa's room with Anna and he performed the incantation. In a way he was starting to almost feel human again, something he both longed for and dreaded. 

The next few days they kept at the basics, with Ander gradually increasing the speed of his attacks and changing the order he called out the defensive numbers. Anna blocked, dodged and parried most of them, only suffering a hit here and there. 

"Now we're going to try something more advanced," he said.

"Attacking," she asked cheerfully.

"Counterattacking. After every block, dodge or parry there's an opportunity for a counterattack. From a swift slash across the throat to a kick to the groin. You won't win in a straight fight, it's not an offense, it's just simple facts. Say someone with Kristoff's build attacked and you chose to block and recoiled from the attack, that leaves you vulnerable to a finishing blow. Luckily however you're agile so while you won't be as strong as someone it won't matter after you've sliced their Achilles heel after a quick spin."

"And when do we move to attacking?" Ander could hear the frustration in her voice. 

"Believe it or not, you're already learning it by watching me. By doing this part now it means we can move straight to attacking and defending."

And so they trained. Anna was quick to spin from his attacks and would have landed a few blows had he been a normal man. He felt pride as he watched the woman hold her ground. Almost every day, they would practice their sword play and every night he would perform the incantation. 

A month into their training he could see the cold melt away from Elsa. The incantation seemed to be calming her and she was starting to accept the witcher. What began as avoiding one another and averting eyes turned into hellos and pleasant small talk. He was regaining his old strength and began to wonder if he could complete his healing at Kaer Ysgol. 

"Would you like to join us for breakfast," she asked awkwardly one day before training. She must still be clueless else he would be thrown out of the kingdom or worse. 

"I'd be delighted to, your grace," he answered politely. And so he followed her into their dining hall, taking a seat beside her. He sat across from Anna and Kristoff, with the man shooting looks at him. I hope he doesn't think anything bad is happening. Though for an engaged woman to return out of breath and messy after spending eight to ten hours a day with a witcher it wouldn't surprise Ander if he suspected adultery. 

"You don't have to be so formal. Look... I'm sorry. I just..."

"I know." She didn't need to finish, he knew what she felt. "You've always been a caring soul and I'm sorry for not saying or doing anything."

There was an awkward pause after that only to be broken by the snowman and General Mattias entering the room. He had heard of the general before, but this was the first time actually seeing the man. He was a dark-skinned man with brown eyes and dark hair that was showing signs of grey. Ander tuned the snowman out and gazed out the window.

He felt something hit him. A small piece of paper. He looked over and Anna was trying to get his attention. 

"I said what happened to you as a child," he heard Elsa ask. Her voice was less icy than normal when addressing him. This was more than likely an attempt to break the awkward silence surrounding the room or to bring the witcher into whatever conversation he was trying to avoid. 

"I think it best to avoid that," he answered. "No need to ruin a perfectly good morning."

"Ander," Anna said, her voice urging him to speak up.

He sighed. "What can I say? A witcher found me, took me in, trained me and the rest is all just filler leading up to me returning here." He did not feel like opening up to so many people, but his answer did not satisfy Elsa in the least bit. 

"Fine," she said coldly. "At least tell us why you didn't come back after your contract was up." 

He looked down and sighed. "Because I'm the reason your parents went to Northuldra.". He heard silverware drop, a slight gasp from Anna. When he raised his head all he saw was Elsa's heart break. "I found a scroll, linking your powers to Ahtohallan, I sent it along with a note, pleading that they hire me for that was the only real way around the contract. A few weeks later I felt an icy despair creep across my body then... nothing. An emptiness filled me to the depths of my soul. Out of all my blunders that is what I am most ashamed of. I was hoping they'd send for me and that the water spirit would accept Iduna for her blood was Northuldra. I was wrong." He looked up and saw anger, a violent rage akin to a raging blizzard in the eyes of Elsa. 

He fell silent, wishing the grasses took his emotions as it did with all witchers. Had he completed the trial he would have lost his humanity and cared little in the way she stared at him. Eventually the raging storm in her eyes subsided and tears flowed like a river from them. 

"You could have came back," she said, wiping away the tears. "You were family Ander, you could have mourned with us. Had I known...

"Had you known and sent for me I wouldn't have left Arendelle. I know what would have happened. You'd have sent for me but without a proper cause then it wouldn't have mattered, the order wouldn't have allowed it. We are to have no contact with our former lives until the contract is up, however by then most witchers don't care for the trials and violence strip them of their humanity at that point leaving little from their old selves."

"Most?"

"I am, to my knowledge, the only living witcher who has kept a shred of my humanity, my emotions, left after the trials. Everyday I think that this would be it, this is when I finally turn into the things I hunt, a being whose only use is to kill." He fell silent. Old wounds that he thought healed opened inside him. Maybe it would have been better if I risked going back to Kaer Ysgol now. 

"I'm sorry," Elsa finally said, breaking the silence. "Ander, you're not a monster. You're a hero, my hero. If you hadn't left then... that vampire could... would have killed us. Anna's been telling me how you've been checking up on me, how you ask about the kingdom every day before dance lessons."

He almost busted out laughing. She calls them dance lessons. It wasn't wrong though the dance they trained for was one of death.

"I thought he was taking basic school lessons," Kristoff said. Fuck, Ander thought. He man shot out of his chair and looked ready to fight but Mattias held him back. "Just what have you been doing with my fianc�e?!"

"Anna," Ander said calmly. "I think it's time we began a new lesson. One that involves Kristoff here." He looked over and saw both sisters had flushed faces, though he suspected Anna's was due to Kristoff's reaction and Elsa's was more than likely due to thinking her sister was sleeping with him.

"But... Kristoff has at least six months on me," Anna said. A look of confusion grew on Kristoff's face. 

"Remember what I said one day when we first began? You are fresh at this but trust me, you can handle a... sword quite well. You definitely surpassed my expectations for a person who hadn't done it before."

No doubt his sexual innuendo was not well taken due to the fact Kristoff broke free (or was let go) from Mattias's grasp and taking a swing at the witcher. It didn't hurt but instinct said to break the man's arm. This time it was Elsa and Anna breaking the two apart. 

"If you don't mind," the witcher said, gathering himself, "I can show you what I mean. Anna, we need horses. I have a new area for you to practice in."

After Kristoff had calmed down, they departed. Anna changed into her training outfit and rode beside the witcher who had obtained two blunt training swords. Mattias had gathered (much to his horror) what the witcher had done as had Elsa who just shot looks of disbelief at him. Kristoff glared hatefully at him and was no doubt utterly clueless. Ander easily surmised the man was a little stupid and began wondering how him and Anna fell in love.

An hour had passed when they reached the new training grounds in the forest. Anna let out a small squeal, one of joy the witcher hoped. It mimicked the training grounds at Kaer Ysgol, even having the dreaded Pendulum, a training exercise that had witchers and would be witchers go across a rail, normally blindfolded, and take swings against two moving pendulums made from rotating wood and had smaller rods extending from it.

Ander threw Anna a sword, who caught if deftly, and then handed one off to Kristoff, who still had a look of confusion on his face. He then leaned against a makeshift wall, arms crossed. Elsa had conjured a bench made of ice and invited the witcher over to which he happily accepted. 

"Anna, what are you doing," Kristoff asked and began walking to her. She had taken a readying stance. "You'll lose your balance standing like that. Here, let me show you how a proper swordsman holds their..."

She spun around him, held the training sword to his throat and said one word. "Dead."

Ander saw Mattias's jaw drop and Elsa's eyes widen. Kristoff was complaining that no one gave the ready. "You know who waits for the ready," Ander asked. "Dead men. Don't worry about hurting her, worry that she's going to thrash you."

The man grumbled and took an overhead swing at Anna only for her to block, give him a quick kick to the testes, which took away his breath and gave her the chance to perform a slash that would have split him open had they had real weapons. 

"Dead."

"That's not fair," he complained.

"You're right," Ander said. "General, if you would be so kind?"

"Ander, what are you doing," Elsa asked. There was concern in her voice and for good reason. Or so she thought. Ander could see that Anna was spinning circles around Kristoff. 

"I'm sorry but I don't have a training sword," the general replied. "All I have-"

"Is a real sword and shield. Judging from the way she's fighting Kristoff she needs a more fair fight without handicapping herself. I've been teaching her for a month now, had she been born a male, she'd make a fine witcher. Anna, how would you like a challenge?"

The woman accepted happily with Kristoff still having the look of confusion on his face. By the witcher's count he had died at least six... now seven times. Mattias entered the ring, at first he attacked lazily until that proved worthless. Ander could see the looks of shock and frustration as Anna held her own against her soon to be husband and her general. 

"She's good," Elsa said. Ander could hear the slight tones of surprise in her voice. "She's only been training with you for a month now?"

"At Kaer Ysgol, you learn quick or you die. Luckily I was resilient or I'd have died when I was a boy." He felt Elsa lay her head down against his shoulder. At first he didn't know what to do except sit their uneasily.

"This is nice," she said. 

"What? Seeing your sister thrash a trained soldier and his apprentice?"

"No." She took his hand. Elsa always had a natural coldness to her but Ander never minded for he could always offset it with his own powers as a child. Even without his powers, he still didn't mind. "Having you back... being a family again. I just wish mother and father were here." 

Ander could hear Kristoff and Mattias swearing for neither one had scored a hit on Anna who danced circles around them. "King Westergaard of the Southern Isles came to me with a proposition," Elsa said. Ander could see the tears building in her. "For me to marry one of his brothers and take the throne from Anna and in exchange he'll give supplies to Arendelle. I'm lost on what to do, I wish I was strong like you and Anna."

"You're stronger than both of us," the witcher said after a moment. She had raised her head and stared at the witcher, for the response surprised her. "You took control of your powers with no training, using no mutations, herbs, or magic foci to harness them. You were born with a gift and that gift is yours and yours alone. You may not have total mastery over them, but you keep them docile. If I may add my own input... I think your parents would want you to marry whoever. Arendelle is under good leadership with your sister. Times are tough because the people of Northuldra had to find refuge and it's hard right now since monsters roam freely again. But Elsa, it will get better. Don't make yourself miserable for a quick response."

She nodded and laid her head back down and smiled softly. "Will you be staying for the wedding at least?"

"Yes."


	4. A Bond Rekindled

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ander feels conflicted, his human nature emerging more and more as he and Elsa spend time together. He fears that if he confides his feeling to her, the one thing keeping him human will be gone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning! This chapter contains smut! If you are under 18, I suggest you don't continue. If you are over 18, your welcome.

The next month seemed to have came and went. Anna continued her sword play under the witcher's tutelage. It was not easily won however, first he had to prove to Elsa it was safe what she was doing. Ander was worried about this at first, but due to the woman's quick learning capabilities she was able to train, so long as she was safe. As he put it, there's no safer place than by a witcher. Kristoff seemed to have forgiven him as well, even so much as apologizing eventually for suspecting him of anything adulterous. Once Ander heard the story of what happened at Arendelle during Elsa's coronation he understood why Anna loved him. 

Anna was working on the pendulum sooner than he expected. This version only was ten feet off the ground and did not have nearly the obstacles as he had to deal with at Kaer Ysgol but nonetheless it was still challenging. The first two weeks were a bit of a struggle but eventually she learned to watch for patterns of where and when to strike. However today was different.

"Spin," the witcher commanded. Her footwork was sloppy, the way she dodged and blocked was lazy, she hadn't even begun to attempt a counterattack against one of the two swinging wooden pendulums. "You're not even trying to fight back." Anna shouted apologies to the witcher. "It's fine, just get down. Are you all right?"

She hopped down, without a flip which was unusual due to her love of showing off her skills. Anna was proud of her development, something the witcher hopes doesn't consume her. 

"I'm fine," she mumbled. She was lying. 

"You want to try that again?" He was concerned about her. "Everything was off, you even seemed distracted on the ride here. Your sister is going to be stopping by today. She wants to see your progress and I'd very much would like to give her good news and then start on my own training." The witcher was getting more and more like his old self. Why, he even hunted down a wyvern who made the North Mountain it's home. He had hoped that brining the monster's head back would stop the sisters from worrying about him. He was wrong, however. 

"Are you leaving?" Ander could hear the emotion in her voice, and she wouldn't like the answer. 

"Yes," he answered bluntly. "Anna, there's people out there who need a witcher and there's not a lot of us left right now."

"If it's coin you want there's plenty of monsters between here and Northuldra." Anna sounded like she was pleading, the girl was showing. Ander knew she didn't want him to go.

"There's more to the world than just Arendelle. Some places aren't so lucky to have walls, soldiers or a magic user. Besides, I've trained my little sister to be a witcher, should any monster try anything I'm sure you'll be returning home the warrior queen of Arendelle."

"I could make you stay." This time the queen was showing. "You're a citizen of this kingdom. You could be held in the dungeons."

"And when you and your sister come to visit me in chains it'll only fulfill one fantasy and I doubt it's yours and Elsa's." The comment made her blush and the queen faded. "Look, I'm staying until the wedding next month. After that I plan to go back to Kaer Ysgol and heal there."

"No," she said somberly. "You're going back to finish the trial, to erase your emotions."

The witcher wondered how she knew. He could see the tears welling in her eyes. "You love Elsa, don't you," she asked before he could say anything.

"You got all that from a simple incantation," he asked back trying to think of something to say.

"It's not an incantation." She walked over and grabbed an old book from her satchel. "I thought it sounded familiar and then I found this. A book you left behind when you stayed with us. It's an actual lullaby Ander, but it's not just what you've been doing with the song, it's how you look and act around her. And Elsa's not oblivious to it, she'll catch on but I'm afraid she won't say anything." 

There was silence between the two of them. Ander could see the tears slowly fall on her face. 

"How long," Anna asked, breaking the silence. 

"Since we were kids," the witcher answered. 

"And you didn't think to leave a note... to say something, anything?"

"What good would it have done? I wasn't a knight or a lord. Anna, your sister had ties to the throne. Me and her aren't meant to be because we come from two different background. I was just some urchin with powers like your sister. I understand you wanting me to stay, to keep her powers at bay, but if it's just a lullaby then you are more than capable to calm her at night."

Anna grabbed the other training sword and threw it at him which the witcher caught. "You can't leave," she said sternly. 

"And I take it you want to dual me?" Anna nodded. "It'll be one sided, I won't hold back. I cannot afford to stay here Anna."

"And why not?" She lunged towards him, but he quickly blocked. This time she was serious.

"Because I will not torture myself for your sister's affection." He could feel anger boiling in him. Anna touched a nerve and had she not been family he would have removed her teeth by now. He quickly shoved her back and tried to use Aard to push her back further she quickly dodged out of the way of the blast. Anna was keeping to the edges of his spell radius, something he hadn� t taught her. A fine student indeed. "How long must I wait? A month, a year? By then she may have married someone, someone beneficial to Arendelle, someone who can take care of her." Anna quickly lunged at him again. She was leading this dance, something he was both proud of and hated. He was not one for playing defense and Anna gave little openings. Where Ander was stronger and his reflexes quicker, Anna was just faster than he was and more agile on her feet. Coupled with the fact he did not want to hurt the woman did not help. But she slipped up just enough and this time she played defense. 

Anna spun around Ander's attacks however, making sure not to block too many of them. Had she blocked the wrong attack then this fight would be over and both she and the witcher knew this. 

"Why are you so persistent on keeping me here," the witcher asked. Anna moved to block an overhead strike which means the witcher could quickly push her back and throw her off balance with Aard. "It will be best if you both forgot about me and went on about your lives."

"Because it would devastate Elsa," she yelled out as the swords clanged together. This stopped the witcher from using his sign and left him wide open for Anna to headbutt him, bloodying his nose knocking him on the ground to which Anna quickly pinned the witcher with the blunt training sword. She was panting heard, sweat dripped down her face onto the witcher. "Ander, she knows. Elsa woke up one night and saw what you were doing. She's seen that you've been calming her at night."

"Then why not say something," the witcher replied. He was glad that his student of two months was able to find a weak spot but did not care that it was an emotional one. 

"Because she thinks you want to leave." Anna released her pin and allowed the witcher to get up from the ground. "Ander, Elsa doesn't want you to leave. She wants you here, with us."

"Then why not say something," he repeated, enunciating each word. 

"Because to her you're a ghost Ander." She handed him a handkerchief to which he wiped the blood from his nose. "Ander... you went through a traumatic pain, one Elsa felt miles away. You were the only one who understood, who really understood what she was going through and then left when she needed you. You didn't have to go be a witcher for Elsa, you just had to be there."

The witcher was silent, for the first time in what seemed like forever he was utterly speechless, not a quip came to mind, not a remark, nothing. 

"I won the dual," Anna said after a moment. "You can't leave, not until you and Elsa have a conversation, a real one, not small talk."

The witcher remained silent. Thoughts and emotions ran rampant through him. "What if she and I can't reconcile our past"

Anna took his face in her hands. "She will Ander, I know it."

The ride back to the castle was a long and solemn one and rain began to pour. Anna didn't say a word and Ander felt like he was broken. A million thoughts raced around his head. If Elsa rejects his attempt to mend things then the one thing that kept him human, that kept him truly human, would be gone. And if she did accept him what then? If they mended things and became lovers, they could never have children, the grasses made sure of that. All witchers are sterile, for what life does a child have traveling with a witcher? Most retire when they become too slow and a monster rips them open. 

Ander felt his medallion humming, signifying that magic was close. In the distance he saw Elsa atop the water spirit who took the form of a horse. She was trotting slowly towards them with her wearing a simple riding blue riding outfit and an old cloak of the witcher's. Even in an old cloak, she was beautiful and having her hair down magnified that. 

"I thought you two would be training for a while," she said cheerfully once she caught up to them. She gave the faintest smile at both of them, but he noticed a sparkle in her eyes when she met the witcher's cat-like eyes. 

"Decided to cancel," Anna said quickly. "I'm wore out from all this constant training and Ander decided it would be best to rest for now and continue tomorrow or the next day." She rode off without saying a word more leaving Ander and Elsa alone. 

"I see you wore one of my old cloaks," he said to break the silence. It was beginning to become an awkward silence, one that Ander did not want. 

"Yeah, I couldn't find one of mine, so I borrowed one of yours," she replied. "I hope you don't mind."

"Not at all. We should hurry back to the castle though. The rain is starting to pick up."

"Still not a fan of water," she asked as they started to make towards the castle. It wasn't too far, maybe half an hour away, but Ander hoped that it would last longer. "I remember you running around naked whenever they'd try and bathe you. You always made hide-and-seek easy cause all we'd have to do is find the smell."

He chuckled at what felt like a lifetime ago. "If I remember right, you and I could sense one another and that� s why I could find you easily. No, I just don't want to catch a cold."

"I thought witchers were immune to disease."

"The grasses didn't fully take, so I don't know what effects are here and what aren� t, and I'd rather not risk it." 

And so, they rode off towards the castle, reminiscing along the way. It's hard to believe his life would be anything other than a witcher's life but talking made him wonder what it would have been. Then he remembered the vampire and if he hadn't become a witcher, then both sisters would have been drank. They talked about what happened during the coronation, Anna's first boyfriend, one which Ander would have loved to have met, and then they spoke of Elsa's parents.

"Wait," he said stopping them. "I want to go pay my respects."

At first Elsa looked shocked then smiled. "Okay." And the two rode off together, not towards the castle but towards the stones that acted as gravestones to the lost king and queen. Elsa explained what happened on the ship and how they died holding one another as the cold waters of the Dark Sea swallowed them. He was glad for the rain because for the first time in what seemed like forever, tears slowly flowed down the witcher� s face. 

It didn't long take to reach the stones. Moss was starting to slowly creep it's way on them. Flowers were placed around them as well, showing the people still loved their lost king and queen. Ander dismounted and walked towards the stones and removed his medallion. 

"Had I been a little faster," he began, "a little stronger, a little smarter you'd be here. Had I not sent the scroll that led you to Ahtohallan, you'd be here. I hope you can see what strong women your daughters have become." He heard Elsa sob softly, but not soft enough, for his witcher senses still heard her. He placed the medallion in between the stones. "I don't deserve to call myself a witcher. Witchers are supposed to save people and I led two people, people who took me in and raised me like a son, to their deaths. I hope one day, when we meet again on the other side, you can forgive me." 

The next thing he felt was Elsa's arms around him. Her sobbing was a little louder than before, but she tried to remain the strong woman he knew her to be. Ander took one of her hands in his. They seemed so small compared to his.

"You didn't kill them," she said. "You're not responsible for their actions."

He held her hand tightly. Then he heard her ask him something. 

"Do you have to go?"

This was it. This is the moment to which he can extinguish the last embers of humanity that he clutched so earnestly onto. If he rejects this, this one moment, he can go back to Kaer Ysgol without regrets and have himself free of the emotions that plague him, to a life where he can forget the pain and sorrow that haunt him. 

"No."

He couldn't do it. He couldn't reject his humanity without rejecting her. Elsa squeezed her hand around his harder and said something under her breath. Something the witcher wasn't supposed to hear.

"I love you."

He turned around and faced the woman before him. Ander saw the surprise on her face, as if she accidently let that slip. He could see the tears on her face and the warm smile she gave him. "I love you," she repeated.

He cupped her cheek and kissed her. Her lips were soft and cool. In that kiss the witcher was reminded of all the good that came from his life. It was few and far between, but in this one moment of respite it was worth it. 

"Elsa," he said pulling away much to her disappointment. "I want us to go back to the castle. I want you to know everything before you say those words again. If you can still say those words then I'll stay, if not then I'll go." She agreed and then rode back to the castle, this time the water spirit was sent away, and she rode together with Ander on Horse, the witcher sat behind her to support the woman. She held onto his hands tightly along the way as if she was afraid he'd leave again. 

Upon arriving at the castle Anna was waiting for them by the gates. 

"I thought you'd be back here sooner," she said. "Elsa, where's your horse?" Then she saw them holding hands atop Horse and she gave a small squeal. Thankfully no guards were there. Ander could see that she was bounding with joy. She darted off and yelled about training tomorrow morning. 

They went to Elsa's room, a little privacy so Ander could tell his tale. They sat upon the bed and he began. 

"When I first became a witcher, at first I thought I had lost my emotions. Before, witchers would have to put their emotions away themselves but once we lost a majority of the grasses formula all thought that it would be impossible to make new ones until a mage redid the formula a few hundred years afterwards, we wouldn't be as quick or as strong but it was safer, only half the boys died, and it would strip us of emotion completely, making us the perfect killing machine. It was only a few days later that a spark was ignited. When I asked Garrett, the grandmaster witcher, he said they had to stop the trial because of a small ember of my powers. I thought hope was lost until he said I could still be a witcher and sign the contract binding me to the order for ten years. It was a hard life, but it paid off. I learned so much about magic and how it governs forces around us, but I also learned you and I were the only humans born with magic, that if anyone wanted to learn magic they had to go through a process that imbedded magic, very painfully, into their bodies, and unfortunately the second conjunction didn't leave any magic behind for people to learn. 

"I've killed, not just monsters, but people too. Some deserved it, others didn't. My first human... I felt sick because he was one of the ones that didn't deserve it, my own instinct kicked in and I swung at him. There were times I enjoyed killing, not just monsters. I've done horrible things, all in the name of an ideal I truly did not believe in, for the order was simply a means to an end. When I had the nightmares about the vampire& I had to come back home." 

Elsa remained silent at first, to which the witcher thought she was disgusted with him for she said not a word. He rose and made his way to the door. She ran behind him and threw her arms around him in a tight embrace. 

"You did what you had to do to survive, to come back to me" she said softly as he turned in her arms to fully embrace her. She leaned in and kissed him softly as she began to unbutton his shirt, flinging it away when it was done. She ran her fingers across his scars, feeling the raised skin. She seemed to be taking her time. "There are easier ways to remove your shirt," Elsa said with a light smirk.

And so, they kissed again and again, relishing the feeling of her lips against his, until he lifted her up by the waist. She wrapped her legs around him and pressed her mouth to his. She was light, supple& his. He set her down before the side of the bed as she continued her assault on his lips. He could feel her undoing his belt as he was removing her shirt, revealing her breasts. She was pale like a fresh snow and cool, more than likely from her powers. He gently placed her on the bed and finished removing his trousers. Her eyes widened when she saw (what he assumed) was the scars on his legs too. 

"Fifty-seven scars total," he said removing her pants and panties. He slowly started kissing up her leg. 

"That doesn't..." But Else gave a small gasp of pleasure when the witcher kissed at her core before moving up to her hip, her stomach, her breasts. She pulled him close, but he pulled away for a split second. � Is this your first time,� he said with concern. The last thing Ander wanted to do was hurt her, but he knew if she let him have complete control, he� d lose it. � Yes& � She replied with a shy nod, a light blush creeping across her soft cheeks. Ander moved her to be on top of her, straddling his waist, and with that movement, he could see Elsa becoming self-conscious.

� Hey, look at me,� Ander said as he took her chin between his thumb and forefinger. � I want you to have complete control. I� ve dreamed about this for so long and having you in front of me like this& I don� t trust myself.� He confessed, making her smile shyly. He helped her lift herself up and positioned himself at entrance. As she sunk down onto him, he hummed with pleasure. When she became fully seated on his lap, they both let out a shaky breath, his hands placed on her hips, hers on his chest to keep herself steady. When she felt comfortable, she began to move, causing Ander to tighten the grip on her hips. She felt exquisite around him, squeezing him in all the right places.

She was warm and smiled happily at him, not a small smile that he is accustomed to in passing, but a truly happy smile. He cupped her cheek and pulled her close for a kiss, her long white hair flowing off to the side. Ander had been with women before, but that was carnal, this was love. Then a stark contrast of pure ecstasy happened. What was once warm and now turning cold, but not too cold, then back to warm again, fluctuating with each moment. 

Her pace began to quicken as she bounced on his lap with newly found confidence. His grip became tighter as her breathing flowed erratically. She so close, Ander thought to himself before moving his hand down and toying with her bundle of nerves, sending her into her climax. 

She was riding out her high and he soon followed suit. Her smile widened and her eyes shone like the sea when the sun meets it. She all but collapsed on his chest as the witcher ran his fingers through her hair. He never thought he'd get here, not with here nor any other woman, Ander always expected to be killed before he had reached this part of his life. He kissed her on the forehead.

"I love you too."


	5. A Day to Remember

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The day of Anna and Kristoff's wedding finally arrives and there are consequences for previous actions. Ander sees old faces and a path is revealed.

She was snoring, her hair a mess and her feet was like the cold touch of death against his legs… but she was his. Ander was laying down, Elsa’s head on his chest. He was running his fingers through her hair which seemed to relax the woman. He awoke an hour ago but did not want to disturb her. Part of him thought it was a dream and he hoped he never awoke if that was the case.  
Elsa began to stir awake. She yawned and opened her eyes and was surprised to see the witcher. She smiled shyly at him.  
“Good morning,” he said.  
“Good morning,” Elsa replied sleepily. She stretched and kissed his cheek and then looked out the window. “What time is it?”  
“Almost half past nine,” the witcher replied. Elsa shot up yelling that she would be late. “What’s wrong?”   
“I have a meeting with King Westergaard about…” She stopped talking though and looked down at the floor. She had just gotten her pants back on and was sitting on the bed at this point. Ander grabbed his pants and began to put them on as well. “Will you come to the meeting with me?” She pressed her bare back to his. “It’s at noon. We’re to meet him on the docks and discuss a marriage treaty but now… I can’t do it.”  
Ander held her hand, keeping his back to her. “Of course,” he replied. “The Hero of Arendelle should be there to make sure nothing bad happens.” He heard her giggle. He turned to cup her cheek and gave her a kiss that would have more than likely turned into something else had Anna not come into the room unannounced. She gave a yell and Elsa quickly threw up the blanket to cover herself. Ander could see the tears going down Anna’s face. He had forgotten about training this morning.  
“I thought you left,” Anna exclaimed happily with a great smile on her face. Ander saw her blue-green eyes darting back and forth, the smile faded, and she turned a deep shade of red. She quickly turned around. “Did I interrupt something?”  
Ander said yes and Elsa said no. They looked at one another and began laughing. Anna still had her back to them and trying to shield her eyes from their nakedness. Ander grabbed his shirt and gave it to Elsa. It was too big for her but at least it covered her parts.   
“You can turn around now,” Elsa said. “I’ve got a shirt on now.”   
Anna turned around, she had a face of both happiness and awkwardness. No doubt she saw that him and Elsa didn’t have shirts on and added up why she couldn’t find Ander in his room.   
“So… hi,” Anna said awkwardly. Ander was as speechless as Elsa, the two of them exchanging looks back and forth. No doubt there was a plan to tell Anna, but he was hoping she wouldn’t find them like this. “So… how was your night?”   
“Good,” was the answer they gave in unison. Judging from Anna’s fidgeting she was pleased with the answer just not how she found out.   
“Where… you two safe about your… fun?” That’s when he saw a shocked look grow on Elsa’s face.  
“I’m sterile Anna,” Ander replied, and he saw the look of shock disappear from Elsa’s face but was soon replaced with disappointment. “All witchers are sterile, one of the side effects of the trials.” In truth, he hadn’t known if that was true for him anyways, for he did not complete the trial of the grasses and there was no telling what was left from it, but since he hadn’t heard from any woman he’s been with, it was a safe chance, but he understood the look that Elsa had on her face.   
“So…” Anna began but she couldn’t finish her sentence.   
“Ander, may I have a moment with my sister,” Elsa asked. He nodded and almost departed without his shirt but left when Elsa said he can come back for it tonight. Ander gave her a kiss and left. Despite the door closing he could hear Anna rambling about what happened, what did he say, when the wedding would be. He couldn’t help but give a small chuckle.   
Luckily, no guards were nearby for he did not care for walking the halls without a shirt… and his boots. He was in such a tizzy he forgot his boots as well. When he came back to his room, he looked in the mirror and saw his beard was growing in, not thick and bushy, but thick enough. No doubt he tickled Elsa last night during their relations. His black hair had finally reached just past his shoulders. When was the last time I was at a barber? He threw on his armor and jacket and reached for his swords. Ander unsheathed them and gave both the silver and steel sword a good look. What was the purpose of having them now? He had achieved what he always wanted, a life with Elsa. Then an idea came to him and he quickly sheathed them and made his way out.   
The rain was slowly coming down. He was nearly late, but it was worth it. Both sisters had their hair up, Anna wearing a black and green dress and Elsa wearing a white and blue dress. When they saw him, he heard Anna give a small gasp and thought Elsa’s jaw would drop. He had gone to the barber and they shaved his beard off revealing a smooth face as well as cut his hair short revealing its natural waves. Elsa approached him and touched his face to check the smoothness.  
“Ander,” she said.  
“Yes?”  
“Never grow a beard again.”   
Before he could say anything, Ander heard footstep growing closer and turned around. He saw a small royal entourage and quickly deduced who was King Westergaard. He was a tall man, taller than Ander, in his late thirties maybe early forties. He sported a thick beard and dark brown hair that looked black in certain lights, and somewhat handsome, but he had a grimness about him. His left eye was covered by a patch and Ander caught the glimpse of a scar. He wore a black shirt, brown pants, and a green jacket with gold trim. He stood out from the guards who wore simple chain and plate armor.   
Ander felt Elsa grab his hand. He could tell by the tension in her body that this deal would be bad. She’s giving up supplies and an alliance for him. No doubt the bards and singers will make a lovely tale about this.   
“Your Graces,” the king said, bowing towards Anna and then to Elsa. He completely ignored Ander at first until he met his gaze, something most people avoid. “I see the Hero of Arendelle is with us. I expected you to have both the silver and steel swords, but I only see the steel.”  
“My silver needed repaired,” Ander replied. He could pick traces of an impudent tone when the king addressed him. This man was not afraid of him.   
“Yes, well I heard of your battle with the vampire from my advisors when they came here two months ago. I hear you did well, thank you for saving the queen’s sister.” The king turned to Anna and Elsa. “I think it best to get out of this rain and discuss terms of our alliance.”  
“Actually,” Elsa began reticently, she parted ways just enough for the king to see her holding Ander’s hand. “I’m sorry Your Grace… but something has changed in the last few days and I cannot go along with this treaty.”  
This did not sit well with King Westergaard. Not one bit. “And how often must you… whore yourself to this mutant?”  
Had Elsa not stepped in front of him, Ander would have knocked the king’s teeth out. Rage built in him, but he remained levelheaded.   
“I don’t have to do anything,” Elsa replied. Ander looked over and saw a fire in Anna’s eyes betraying her calm face. “I love him, and he loves me,” she added calmly with an icy tone. Anna may be queen, but Elsa showed true regality.   
“And does all it takes to win your love is saving your life? If that’s the case, then I should slay a hundred beasts the land has so you may love me a hundred-fold.”  
“I don’t love him because he saved my life,” Elsa replied with an even colder tone. “I love him because he gave up his home and his life, not for a chance at the throne or because of my powers, but for me. He has done nothing but sacrifice for me.”  
The king turned his gaze to Ander. “Tell me witcher, is it true you left to try and find some way for the queen’s sister to gain control of her powers? Had you returned sooner then maybe her parents would still be with us.”  
And that was the final straw. “Had I come back sooner your brother would be a head shorter.”  
“Most people don’t speak to a king in such a matter.”  
“Most people also leave a note when committing suicide.” He suddenly felt an elbow in his side. Ander saw the guards advancing and was readying himself for combat but King Westergaard held a hand up.  
“There won’t be bloodshed here,” the king said. Somehow the witcher doubted his words but the guards stood down regardless. “We shall depart for now, judging from the way repairs are going to your castle I’d say the wedding will be delayed again. I assume we are still on this list.”  
“You are,” Anna said. There was anger in her voice, but Ander knew she had to keep at least a tolerance between the Southern Isles and Arendelle. The king bid his farewell and left on his ship. Thankfully, Ander didn’t have to fight, he was tired of shedding blood.   
“Anna,” Ander began turning to the queen. “There won’t be training today. I think it be best to take a few days off.” He was still holding Elsa’s hand, much tighter than before. His own nerves were on edge. If rumors are true, then the king of the Southern Isles has a nasty temper when provoked and Ander did not want to start a war that the sisters had to deal with. Anna nodded and departed leaving him and Elsa alone.   
“Well… we did it,” Elsa said. She seemed much happier now, like a weight was lifted off her shoulders. “We got our happy ending.” She led him off to the stables, Horse and the water spirit were waiting for them. “I want to ride, it helps clear my head.”  
Ander quickly mounted Horse and Elsa on the water spirit. They started off north. The rain was still slowly coming down. Normally he hated riding in the rain but wanted to keep Elsa company.   
They kept at a slow pace even when they reached the wilderness of the forest towards the north. “Where’s your steel sword,” Elsa asked.  
“On my back.”  
“I mean your sword.” He was surprised that she noticed the difference in this steel sword and his witcher sword since he didn’t unsheathe it.  
“Had to take it for repairs,” the witcher answered.   
“Your lying,” Elsa retorted with a smile. “There hasn’t been much here for you to fight and I highly doubt you broke it training.”  
“And if I did?”  
“Then I say you need to retire as a witcher.” Ander stopped Horse to which Elsa looked behind her and saw the horse and rider motionless.  
“And what if I did,” he asked softly. “Like you said, we have our happy ending. There’s no need for me to remain a witcher… I want to be there for you and Anna and putting my life on the line needlessly…” He stopped. He didn’t know what else to say.  
Elsa slowly rode towards him, eyes wide with disbelief. “Do you mean it,” she asked softly. He nodded. Ander saw a smile widen across her face. He was glad to see that smile. “Are you still going to train with Anna?”  
“Of course,” he replied. “Just because I’m retiring as a witcher that doesn’t mean I plan to get fat. I think you wouldn’t care much for that.”  
“Well… it is nice seeing your muscles.” Then suddenly she sped off, back towards the castle. “Race you back to the castle,” he heard her yell. He spurned Horse and was off. The wind and rain flew across him. It felt like he was flying. He felt powerful for he rarely ever had Horse in full gallop. But it wasn’t enough because Elsa was waiting for him back at the gates. “I win,” she said breathlessly.   
“You cheated,” Ander said dismounting from Horse. He led the horse back to the stables. He didn’t know what the prize was for their race but felt certain they would both be winners.   
With the rains it set the wedding back another month due to the repairs needed to the ballroom. Ander spent the next two months in Elsa’s room. They had to have a larger bed, making love often, and every night he held her and never wanted to let her go. He had heard the stories about destiny, he hadn’t ever believed in that sort of thing, but felt one thing was certain. Elsa was his destiny.   
She was sick often, Ander guessed it was from nerves due to the wedding being closer. Anna was getting married today and Elsa was especially sick, but it soon passed by noon. Elsa had left to help her sister get ready and Ander had to get ready himself. He wore a black shirt with black pants and a red jacket. He had kept to Elsa’s request and kept himself clean and shaven. He left for the blacksmith to pick up the gift he had planned. It may have taken two months to find a smith who would work with a witcher’s blade, but it would be worth it for he had two surprises in store for tonight.   
The wedding was set for six. When it finally arrived, he could see the crowd of people. People from all over, from Weselton to Corona, came today to see the queen of Arendelle take her husband. He saw Rapunzel and Eugene waving, Cassandra gave a wink and showed her assets in the dress she wore. Had he not been with Elsa he would have gladly taken the invitation.  
Elsa walked Anna down the aisle. Anna wore an elegant white dress that bore the symbol of Arendelle and had her hair up and her makeup done beautifully, while her sister wore a white dress with ice crystals hanging from it. Both women were beautiful, but Elsa shone like a diamond, at least to the witcher. Ander sat in the front row and Elsa joined him. She rested her head on his shoulder and gave a small sigh of joy when they started the vows. He put his arm around her and saw the tears coming down her cheeks. No doubt with the surprise he had in store for her she would be sobbing again. He checked his jacket pocket to see if it was still there. It was.   
The reception was beautiful. The ballroom had ice hanging from it, but it hung decoratively, along with brightly colored tapestry. He handed Elsa a glass of wine as Anna and Kristoff did their first dance, but she declined. Then they danced. Elsa was graceful, like a steady snowfall, her eyes shone like sapphires. As the dance ended Anna and Kristoff approached them. The man was in a suit with a white shirt and a black jacket and pants.  
“You two look good out there,” Anna said. “I guess your footwork isn’t bad for dancing.”   
“It’s all pretty much the same,” the witcher replied. Elsa hung on his arm. Tonight, was by far the best night of his life. “I got you something, Anna.” He went and retrieved her gift. It was two swords, longer than a shortsword but shorter than a longsword, one steel, one silver, each etched with runes which had a faint red glow. Anna could hardly believe her what she saw. She gingerly took both swords and flung herself around the witcher and began to cry softly.  
“I see that the good queen has a good gift, witcher.” Ander turned and saw King Westergaard alongside a small entourage of guards, maybe ten or twelve each armed with swords or halberds.   
“I see ‘no bloodshed’ has been abandoned,” the witcher retorted. The only one with a sword was Anna and, even though she was well trained, Ander doubted she could hold her own against a small force. “What happened to the guards?”  
“A little blackmail and bribery go a long way,” Westergaard sneered. He hadn’t drawn his sword yet. “We will be peaceful and let this reception continue so long as the queen steps down and you are in chains witcher.”  
“I’m afraid that’s not going to happen,” Elsa said. Ander saw that she shot ice towards them but only a few guards were caught. Ander quickly ran to a lone guard and broke his forearm with a loud crack. He quickly took the guard’s sword and opened his stomach. The fight was on. Anna quickly had a guard down but hesitated. The guard tried to swipe with his sword before the queen could decide what to do but Ander ran and drove his sword through the man’s chest.  
“What happened,” Ander scorned. “If you hesitate, you die Anna.”  
“I know,” she said. “I just- “  
But before she could say anything else Ander quickly deflected a bolt before it could pierce them.  
“How’d you do that,” Anna asked.  
“I’ll teach you after this.” A guard with a halberd tried to bring his weapon down but Ander quickly broke it at the shaft, took the blade part of the broken halberd and drove it into the man’s stomach. Blood spurted from the man’s mouth. Another guard charged only for Anna to accidentally impale him. Ander saw the look in her eyes. A look of disbelief that she had taken a life.   
People were running, trying to avoid the fight. Elsa had pinned the two crossbowman who joined the fray and only four guards remained from the attack. Westergaard’s plan had failed, much to the king’s dismay. He was running away, and Ander and Elsa gave chase. Then he saw the king had picked up a crossbow and shot it towards Elsa. Ander pushed her away and took the bolt to the chest. It didn’t sink deeply but he could feel something. Poison was coursing through his body and was taking effect quickly. Ander was fading, for this was no common poison to deal with a rat infestation, but one intended to kill a queen… or at least the queen’s sister. He collapsed and the world around his was fading and the last thing Ander saw was Westergaard being impaled by a spear of ice. The goal was completed, he protected his family and living was simply a luxury the witcher didn’t have.   
When he opened his eyes, he was standing in a shallow pool. The sky above was black, and nothing surrounded him. He knew what happened. He was dead.   
“Hello Ander,” a familiar voice said. He turned and saw a face he hadn’t seen since he was a boy.  
“King Agnarr,” the witcher replied. Beside the king stood Queen Iduna. Both seemed to not have aged since he was a boy. “Not how I imagined this.”  
“Where you expecting someone else,” the king asked.  
“I imagined Hell to be quite torturous, but I assumed my parents would be standing where you are.” Ander’s parents were afraid of him, his father hated him, and his mother was only loving to keep their home from burning down.   
“What makes you think this is Hell,” Queen Iduna asked.   
“I haven’t exactly lived a good life.” Ander had no flights of fancy that, if there was an afterlife, he would suffer for all he has done in his life.   
“You’re not going to Hell,” King Agnarr said. “Everything you’ve done you haven’t done because of malice in your heart but because of love for Elsa.”  
Ander approached the king and queen. “The road to Hell is often paved with good intentions. Maybe this isn’t the afterlife, maybe I’m in a coma or slowly dying.” Then something surprised him. He saw an image of Elsa holding a silver ring with a diamond in the setting. She was begging for him not to die, saying they needed him.   
“You dropped the ring,” Iduna said. “It fell from your shirt pocket. You have to go back Ander.”  
“And why should I,” the witcher asked. He was angry with himself; he didn’t think it through, and he lost what was precious to him. “Maybe this is my time.”  
“Because you and Elsa are children of destiny,” Agnarr said. “Your destinies are intertwined together. You have to go back for her.”  
“All I do is hurt her,” Ander yelled. “I cannot give her a family; I can only do brash and stupid things. I don’t think things through and because of that I died. You died because of me. Maybe my destiny is to die so she can find happiness.”  
“Your destiny is to watch over our grandchild,” Iduna said.  
“Anna’s pregnant?” The two specters just gave him a look. Then it hit him. “No, it’s impossible for a witcher to have children.”  
“But you’re not a witcher Ander,” Agnarr said. The words hurt but it was true. He was no true witcher. “You’re a man who gave up everything for our daughter. You’re not responsible for our deaths, our own actions are to blame.” The king and queen approached the witcher and embraced him. “Now go son, make her happy.”  
He opened his eyes and saw Anna standing over him with tears in her eyes. She saw that he opened his eyes and a gasp was forming. He could feel Elsa hugging him, tears pouring from her face onto him. He held her and at first, she was silent and then burst into a powerful sob.   
“It’s ok,” he whispered. “I’m here.” Ander didn’t know what brought him back, for the poison should have killed him. Was it the smoldering embers of his powers or something else? He saw that Elsa had the ring on her hand as he held the woman. The crowd was being taken out by the guards, no doubt to give them privacy. They went and sat down on a bench with Anna and Kristoff standing in the distance.   
“Yes. I’m sorry that I slipped it on without letting you give an actual proposal, but my answer is yes,” Elsa said. Her voice was choked from crying. “Ander… I’m pregnant.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We plan to do a double chapter drop again next week, so look forward to chapters 6 & 7 next time.


	6. One For The History Books

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Flashback to childhood, the meeting of Anna and Elsa with Ander. After finding Ander in his completely burned down town, King Aggnar brings him back to the castle to stay. At first, Ander finds Elsa, well, cold. But they eventually warm up to one another.

He didn’t know why he was brought to the castle. Had the king not calmed him down, Ander would have probably burned the forest down. King Agnarr was a pleasant man, he showed Ander a kindness he hadn’t seen before, for both his parents were afraid of him. He was introduced to their children, the youngest Anna, a mischievous young four-year-old who was curious of the boy in tattered clothes, and then there was the eldest, a seven-year-old girl named Elsa. She seemed very dignified for her age but there was something off about her that Ander did not care for.   
“Anna, Elsa, this is Ander,” the king said. He kept a hand on Ander’s shoulder and gave the three of them a small smile. The queen was also smiling. Ander saw her whisper something to Elsa.  
“H-hello,” Ander said, giving a small bow. “T-thank you f-for taking me in.” He was grateful they found him. He was afraid, afraid that they would find out what caused the fires. He didn’t mean to start it, but when he came home all the anger within him exploded. Nothing remained of his home save ashes. He wasn’t expecting the fire to reach the other houses, the village was thankfully small but when they found the frightened boy on the cool spring evening, the other villagers were afraid when they saw his body letting off steam.   
“Welcome,” the queen answered. She came to him and embraced his. He was shivering, Ander had never had a real hug, only ones from his mother to calm him down so he wouldn’t burn them or the house. Anna quickly came over and did what her mother did.   
“Hey,” the young Anna said. “Do you wanna build a snowman?”  
This confused the young boy. It was the beginning of spring and snow hadn’t fallen in three weeks. He heard Elsa call Anna and give her a look. The young girl apologized and joined her sister and the two ran off.  
“I’m sorry,” the queen said. “Elsa is a very… shy girl.” She rose and her husband pulled her to the side. They started talking and he saw the queen give him a look. Had the king saw the fire he started to cook his food he caught? The queen approached him and gave him a smile. “It’s ok, you’re safe now.” She wrapped her arms around him again.   
The king and queen led him to a room adjacent to the sisters’ room after his bath. Ander… felt something, similar but different. The room he had was a small one, a twin bed and a small chest with clothes. He hadn’t ever had a real room, he mostly just slept on the floor or old straw.   
“This is where you’ll sleep,” the king said. “Ander, I saw that small fire you started. Did something happen in your village?”  
Ander was silent and his heart sank. Was this a false sense of security, a tactic they were using to see if he was guilty? Would they hang him if he spoke the truth or chain him up? “I… I started the fire, Your Grace.” The words nearly choked him. He expected the guards to come in with chains or a rope.   
“It’s ok,” the queen said. “When I was a girl, I lived in a magical place. It was called Northuldra and it was beautiful. Ander… you don’t have to worry about your powers, the spirits have always guided those with magical powers.”  
“My parents aren’t from… Northuldra?” This seemed to surprise the king and queen. “My parents said I’m a bastard of destiny… that they made a deal and I was born to curse them because they went back on their deal.”  
“It’s ok,” the king said. “You’re safe now, you don’t have to worry about anything.”  
Ander slept well but woke up, something was off. It wasn’t the bed; it was like sleeping on a cloud. He could… feel something. The hour was late, but he rose from his bed and crept out of his room. He could feel something… happening in the room where the sisters slept. He slowly walked over to the room and tried to peek in through the keyhole but saw nothing. The girls were playing from what he heard, speaking of an Olaf. He opened the door slowly to try and see what the commotion was. What he saw took is breath away. Snow was inside their room and he saw Anna and Elsa sliding down a small mound of snow along with a snowman. He hurriedly closed the door and ran back to his room. Magic, he felt magic. But what sister caused the snow? Ander had his money (if he had any) on Anna for he was naturally drawn to her. Elsa just seemed plain to him.   
Ander slept through the morning all the way into the afternoon. It was almost two and he was starving. He timidly walked and found the queen and sisters. They said the king had gone fox hunting and wouldn’t be back until later tonight.   
“Ander, would you like to go play,” Anna said. She grabbed his hand before he could answer and ran and grabbed Elsa’s hand and they were off. Ander heard the queen giggling. She led them outside towards the forest. “Let’s play hide and seek. Me and Elsa will hide and Ander, you have to find us. No peeking.”  
Before he could say anything the two ran off. Ander began counting, all the way to twenty as is custom for hide and seek. He could easily find Anna for he could sense the magic that pulsed from her body. He ran off towards the magic, he could feel it growing stronger as he closed in. He came to a bush where it originated from. When he saw who was behind it, he was surprised.  
“You,” he exclaimed. “Where’s your sister?” He wasn’t expecting Elsa and she wasn’t expecting him to find her so quickly.   
“How’d you find me so fast,” Elsa asked. She was not happy from her facial expression. “Did you cheat?”  
“I followed the magic.”  
“What?”  
“I followed the magic,” Ander said slowly. “Maybe she did a spell to throw me off. I saw you guys playing last night.”  
But before Elsa could say anything Ander heard a scream from a little girl. He saw Anna running and then teeth and fur. It was a wolf, sick and old with a limp. Anna was screaming for Elsa and crying as she crashed into Elsa’s arms.   
“Do the magic,” Ander said. He could feel his own magic however stirring. He looked over and saw Elsa’s face, she was trying to calm her sister as the wolf ran towards them. Then he saw ice freeze the ground underneath them and it crept towards the wolf causing it to slip. The ice however melted around Ander which caused Elsa’s gaze to meet his.  
“You have powers,” they said in unison. The wolf was trying to get back on its feet, but the limp made it hard. The beast did however and began to run towards the three, slipping along the way. Ander flung a small fireball and it hit the wolf in the face causing the beast to howl in pain and run off. His hand was burnt and ached. That was the drawback from his powers, they usually leave burns. He turned to the sisters, Anna had a smile and Elsa had a look of shock. His hand was smoldering lightly, and he could smell his burnt skin. Elsa took the burnt hand and sprinkled snow on it. It stung at first then soothed his hand greatly.  
“How’d you do that,” Ander asked. “I thought it was your sister with the magic.”  
“No silly,” Anna piped in. “Elsa is the one with the magic. She makes snow magic.”  
“Anna are you hurt,” Elsa said, examining her sister. Anna had a few scrapes but nothing damaging. “And you… Hothead, what were you thinking doing that. The wolf would have left when it learned that he couldn’t get to us or the guards would have chased it off.” They two sisters left back towards the castle; Anna was mouthing sorry to him.   
“Oh yeah you… you… Snowflake!” But the sisters were too far off to hear Ander’s insult. He was angry but… there wasn’t fire. His powers were linked to his anger but there was something off now. He looked down at his hand and it was healing, something that normally takes days to do.   
Anna kept inviting Ander to play, normally with Elsa. The three played, Elsa being more reluctant to show her powers to the boy. She didn’t like him and that was obvious, often referring to him as Hothead and he would answer with Snowflake which usually ended with a snowball to the head which melted and left his hair soaked. As the king and queen said, children fight. Ander hadn’t had any accidents like he had at home, he even started to learn to keep his powers under control. He was tutored alongside the sisters and often played with them.  
“Do you want to build a snowman,” Elsa asked one wintery day in a monotonal voice. No doubt Anna put her up to it.  
“Do I,” he answered with too much excitement. He could feel his cheeks blushing and Elsa gave a giggle. Ander was excited to finally to engage in something with someone else with powers, even if he did not care for the princess, he wanted to see her powers.   
“Well Hothead, let’s go.” She took his hand, she was cold, but it felt calming to the boy. When she realized she had taken the boy’s hand she quickly took it away and blushed. “Well, let’s go.” And they ran off. They raced off towards the sisters’ room. Elsa quickly formed snow in the room. As it fell, Ander was expecting his body to steam. It wasn’t. He held the snow in his hand and for the first time it didn’t melt to his touch. It felt… good. His body felt cool, something that rarely happened, for even in winter he dressed in summer clothes. The sisters had on winter attire and Anna looked concerned.  
“Aren’t you cold Hothead,” Anna asked. She started calling him the name, not as a tease, but as a nickname children give friends. He didn’t give an answer and jumped in a pile of snow and made a snow angel.   
“Not in the slightest,” he answered. Ander was filled with joy and saw that Elsa had given him a warm smile, something the girl reserved for her sister. “This is honestly the first time I’ve ever felt snow, I didn’t realize how nice it felt.” He formed a snowball and threw it at the sisters which got Elsa in the face. Her smile went from warm to mischievous. She flung a wall of snow at the boy to which crashed down on him like a fort of pillows. He started laughing. And the Great Snowball War began as Anna called it. As the winter days came so did the snow. This snow melted to Ander’s touch. Elsa however helped him with the war, giving him snow while they used the regular snow… until the war was brought indoors. King Agnarr and Queen Iduna both laughed as they saw Ander run from Elsa and Anna.   
Then came the accident. Elsa became reclusive after that and Anna had her memories modified to forget the magic. Ander spent days in the library using his tutoring well trying to find an answer. He would often go to Elsa’s door, sometimes she would open it to him and other times he would have to melt the ice away to get inside.   
“I’m scared,” she said often. She was an eight-year-old girl that hurt her sister, so it was obvious she feared her powers. Ander could feel it, her fear, her anxiety and depression. He tried to comfort the girl but to no avail. He was certain he could find something. The king and queen knew he would sneak into her room, but they didn’t stop him. When he asked one day, they said it would be best if Elsa had a friend who understood her.   
Then he found it. It took him a year to do but he found it.   
“We just have to get ponies and then we ride off to the east,” he said. “We can sneak off and- “  
“Ander,” Elsa replied. She was trying to silence him. “You’re only ten and I’m nine. Just because you have control over your powers that doesn’t mean we can go out on our own. What if there’s an accident with my powers?”  
“Elsa, I don’t have control over my powers,” he replied. “I just… keep it all down.”  
“So, what makes you think that we can make it to this… Kaer Ysgol? How do you know we’ll be ok?”  
“Because we’ll be together.” Ander cared for the princess, these past two years made him realize something which, thankfully, she couldn’t read. Their powers bonded before they did, and they could usually read the other’s emotions, but Ander buried his true feelings.   
“Hothead… it’ll be better if I just stay inside.”   
“Elsa, what are you going to do when you’re crowned queen? Anna asks about you all the time, she’s worried. I hate lying to her about your powers and she still remembers that I have powers.”  
“Ander, promise me you won’t leave.”  
A million thoughts raced through his head. “I’ll stay,” he said. He saw a smile on her face, and she laid her head down on his shoulder. It was awkward for the boy, he cared for her, even so much as to say that he loved her, but he didn’t know how to properly express those feelings. And then he felt something. Love was coming from the girl, not a false love to keep him calm, but actual love. He knew he couldn’t stay now, his family needed him.   
\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
“What happened next mama,” Runa asked. She loved to hear stories about her father and mother. She was a bright seven-year-old girl, as Aunt Anna said, she had her mother’s face and hair but her father’s bright grey eyes. Her hair was braided like how her mother used to wear. Her parents were her heroes and she idolized them both and her favorite stories usually involved her mother speaking about her father.   
“Well, he left and became a witcher,” Elsa replied. She was bouncing the child in her arms. Despite being close to forty, Runa noticed she didn’t age from the pictures. “And then he came back to me and then you came along.” She gently laid Runa to bed.   
“But mama, if I came along right after you met daddy then I’d be fourteen not seven.” Runa was a smart girl, something her mama knew.  
She saw a small smile on her mama’s face, and it looked like she stared off into space. “Well… we had out adventures before you came along.”  
“Do you miss it?”  
“I do but then you came along, and I knew I had my roots down.”  
“What happened after Aunt Anna’s wedding?” Runa quickly scurried to the footrest of her bed.  
“You need to go to sleep young lady,” her mother said giving a small giggle.   
“But the sky’s awake, so I’m awake, so we need a story.” Aunt Anna told her that line worked when they were children and it worked this time too.   
“Well…”


	7. Hell

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An old mentor comes to see Ander about a possible third conjunction and what they can do to stop it coming to fruition. Before Ander could give a definitive answer, Hell arrives and he feels himself slip away.

He held her close and caressed her hand lightly. Ander could feel the rings around Elsa’s finger, the silver engagement and the steel wedding band. Thankfully the priest wasn’t scared off from Westergaard’s attack and was able to marry them that night. Ander didn’t want a big wedding like Anna’s and, thankfully, Elsa didn’t either. He wondered how long his wife was with child.  
He told her everything before they went to bed. About her parents, what they said about protecting the child. Ander still couldn’t believe it and thought maybe this was his Hell, to finally achieve happiness and then have it taken away from him. It didn’t however, much to his joy.  
“Can’t sleep?” Elsa moved closer to him and intertwined her fingers with his.   
“No,” Ander answered. Part of him was worried that the Southern Isles would call for his arrest and then execution but currently they were amid a civil war, one between Hans and his brothers. Last he heard Hans’s faction was winning. Ander did not fear death, but he wanted to be there for Elsa and their child.  
Elsa moved his hand towards her abdomen. She was showing signs of a small bump beneath her gown. “A few days after our first night… I thought I felt something. At first, I thought it wasn’t anything then… I was late. I felt our child with my powers. I didn’t know how I’d tell you.”  
“I think Anna was happier than I was.” Anna’s excitement, which was normally a ten, seemed to grow exponentially, even going so far as calling herself Aunt Anna. Ander gently kissed Elsa’s cheek. She sighed happily, turned around and pressed her mouth to his.   
“So… looks like your swords went to good use,” she said after pulling away. “So, what do you have planned for the honeymoon?” They had been married for a month and a half now and so far, they just spent their time in the castle.   
“I figure we could just stay in bed,” Ander replied. Elsa fell asleep after that. She had a smile on her face. Ander lightly kissed her on the forehead, told her he loved her and fell asleep.   
Ander woke up before his wife. He quickly got dressed and made his way to the kitchen. It was seven in the morning and servants weren’t there yet. No doubt Anna gave them the day off since she would be sleeping in, the night before she trained hard. As she put it, she needed to make up for lost time. He made a simple breakfast, eggs and sausages. At Kaer Ysgol they had to learn to make meals for themselves, something Ander did well. He also went to the gardens and picked a small bouquet and made his way back to the room. By now it was almost eight and Elsa still hadn’t woken up. She was peaceful and still wore the smile on her face.  
“Hey,” Ander said, gently nudging her. She stirred awake, none too happily until she saw he woke her up with breakfast. Before she ate though, Elsa ran off and began to vomit. Hopefully the morning sickness will end soon.   
“What happened to staying in bed,” Elsa asked as she sat back down on the bed.   
“You stay in bed,” Ander replied. “If you conceived from our first night then by my count, you’re about three, almost four, months pregnant.”  
She smelled the flowers he brought her. “You mean I have a witcher waiting on me hand and foot?”  
“No.” Ander came close and kissed her gently. “You have me waiting on you hand and foot.”   
“After breakfast can we go for a ride,” his wife asked softly. “I want to go to the stones.” Ander saw her grab her stomach in pain. She assured him she was okay.  
They went to the stables where Horse and Nokk, the water spirit, waited. Ander finally learned the spirit’s name after Elsa drilled it into his head. He helped her get on her horse before getting on his own. The day was pleasant, cool with a gentle breeze. They rode slowly making the trip longer than normal.   
When they reached the stones, Ander thought he could feel something and for a moment he thought he saw the king and queen, smiling happy at them. Ander dismounted then helped Elsa down and for a moment he felt their child despite not having his powers. There was… magic with the child, a mix between his and Elsa’s. They just sat there at the stones, with Elsa leaning against Ander. Elsa spoke as though her parents were sitting with them. She was happy. He was happy. This was his world and damn whoever try to take it away from him.  
“Have you thought of a name,” Ander asked.   
“With all that’s happened no,” Elsa replied. She laid there against him, holding his hand. “Runa if it’s a girl and Sigurd if it’s a boy,” she said after a while. They sat in silence after that, Ander saw that his medallion was gone. One day I’ll come back for it, but not too soon.  
When they left Ander guessed it was noon from the position of the sun. They rode back to the castle and Ander saw a familiar shape.   
“I was wondering when you’d return Ander,” the man said. He was old, looked to be a man in his sixties but very athletically built. His face was covered by a thick white beard, scars littered it including a signature scar from a basilisk. He was in leather and chain armor and sported two swords on his back.  
“Hello Garret,” Ander replied. Garret was the grandmaster at Kaer Ysgol. He found Ander as a child and saved him from the fiend. He dismounted and helped Elsa off Nokk. He kissed her and said he’d join her in a moment and turned to his teacher. “So… it’s been a while, master.”  
“You don’t have to call me that Ander,” Garret replied. Despite not having emotions he was a kind man at times and was a father figure to Ander as a child. “Judging from the bump, I say you failed to remember human anatomy. Did you forget? Leave the bread in the oven too long and you’ll get burned.”  
“They failed to mention I wasn’t sterile.” Ander went and embraced the old man. He was strong for a man over one hundred and twenty. “So how many times have you turned a sixty this time around?”   
Garret laughed. There’s been a joke at Kaer Ysgol that Garret has turned sixty at least fifty times by now. “Going for a record,” he would always say.  
“I’m sure you’re wondering why I came,” Garret said. He went over to Jackass, his horse. Ander wondered how many Jackasses Garret owned in his lifetime as a witcher. Garret brought him a long box and opened it. Inside were two swords, one silver and one steel. “Heard what you did. Symbolic but stupid. What idiot did you hire to melt down two witcher blades for rings?”  
“And swords for my apprentice.” Ander took the swords. He unsheathed the blades and saw runes on them. Purple on both. “I see you yourself were symbolic by mixing red and blue.”  
“That’s just how it came out,” Garret replied. He was always matter of fact even when Ander was a child. “You know, we could always use a witcher like you at Kaer Ysgol.”  
“I’m retired,” Ander replied with a just matter of fact tone as his master gave. “And I told Elsa that I’m done with that life.”  
Garret’s face gave a look of disapproval. “Ander, this isn’t your place. You’re making it a home when it’s not. Ander… this isn’t your destiny.”  
“Then what is,” Ander answered angrily. “What is my destiny?”  
Garret placed his hand on Ander’s shoulder. “To be a witcher. Ander… you’re a child of destiny. Your parents promised you to me and destiny found a way to bring you to me.”  
“If that’s the case then destiny brought me back to Elsa making her my destiny.” He started to walk away for he didn’t want to listen anymore.  
“We found something about the second conjunction,” Garret said calmly. This stopped Ander in his tracks. He turned around, now paying full attention to the old witcher. “It wasn’t a natural one, someone forced the second conjunction.” He slowly approached Ander. “You’re right, she’s your destiny as is the child. Children of destiny have always affected the world around them, well now it’s yours and hers turn.”  
“What do you mean,” Ander asked. He always heard this conjunction wasn’t natural, but no one could figure out what happened.   
“We found evidence that a mage tried to draw power from the conjunction, but it backfired and brought monsters to this world.”  
Ander remained silent for a moment before hearing a faint heartbeat coming from behind the brush, a heartbeat that was all too familiar to him. “Come out, witch.”  
Around the corner a woman appeared. She looked to be about thirty with long brown hair and bright green eyes. She wore a robe which clung to her body revealing her shape. She was skinny and was just under Ander’s chin in terms of height.  
“Hello witcher,” she said.  
“Hello Margret.” Ander did not care for the witch, even as a child. She always called him the child of destiny and followed him like a shadow, to which the other boys made fun of him for. “I see they let you away from Kaer Ysgol.”  
“And I see you started a family,” she said. Margret always had a kind voice about her for she was a kind woman. What Ander did not like about her was the fact she practically clung to him. “She looks wonderful. I hear congratulations are in order as well, for the wedding and…” She stopped and looked down.   
“Why are you here?” Ander asked.   
“Ander,” Garret began, “There’s signs of a third conjunction. We need to see what’s going to happen but we need to see who caused it and so-“   
“You need Elsa and her ability to see memory at Ahtohallan. In case you didn’t see she’s pregnant. Not only that but Northuldra is overrun by monsters, even with all of us it would be impossible.”  
“Ander, a mage caused this,” Margret said.   
“The only ones with magic in the world are you, Mara, I and Elsa with me being stripped of my powers in case you forgot. You were there after all.”  
“We said you were the only humans with magic,” Garret said grimly. “There’s an elvish mage in this world.”  
“And what, this mage caused this conjunction as revenge for humans slaughtering his people?” Ander was angry. His morning was ruined by these people he once called family.   
“We don’t know,” Margret replied.   
“Ander, we’re sorry.” There was a hint of sadness to Garret’s voice as though he realized what this was doing to Ander.   
“It’s okay,” Ander replied with a sigh. “It’s been stressful here lately.”  
“We’ll be staying here for a while before we go to Northuldra,” Garret said.   
“You’re still going?”  
“Yes.”  
“ANDER!” It was Anna, she was out of breath. She paid no attention to the strangers at the gate. “We need you. It’s Elsa!”  
Without a word Ander sprung into a run. He followed her but after he smelled it, he took the lead, his heart sinking. How had he not noticed it? He slammed the door open and saw his wife lying on a bed, blood down her legs. He hit the floor, his legs giving out under him. This was Hell. He wanted to scream, to curse whatever gods caused this but nothing came. This was Hell. Had Anna not been there he would have throttled the doctor. This was his Hell. Elsa had miscarried.   
A week passed. Ander was lying in bed beside his wife. He stared blankly into the ceiling, his hand aching. He saw the two swords gifted to him by Garret. Anna said that the witch left him a message. His destiny was not complete yet and that he would be without child until that destiny is fulfilled. That ended with him punching the wall and leaving a crack. Elsa tried to get him out of the bed, she tried to be strong for him. Ander was grateful that he had a wife like her for without her he would have likely taken his own life. He felt empty and broken. But it was useless, he remained in bed. Training did nothing for him for Anna would easily defeat him. He broke his promise to Elsa and his beard was slowly coming back in.   
He saw the sun rising. When was the last time I slept? He didn’t sleep much even though he was in bed all day. He felt Elsa throw her arms over him. The first few days all she did was cry but after she saw Ander’s condition, she became his rock. Ander felt sorry for her. He was useless, he couldn’t even hardly comfort her. She ran her hand over his face.  
“I feel the beard is coming back,” she said. He said nothing. “Anna told me what the other witcher and the witch said. They plan to go to Northuldra, to Ahtohallan but they can’t do this without me can they?” He said nothing. “I think you should go with them. I think we should go with them.”  
“Why,” he finally asked. There was no point to him. He remembered that he would die when he reached his destiny, something Margret said frequently, and he always brushed it off. Now he knew what she meant.   
“Because there’s no point without me and I can’t do this without you.” Elsa intertwined her fingers with his. “I need you to come back, not to them but to me.” She kissed him. “Please come back,” she whispered.  
Ander smiled sadly. He moved his hand to Elsa’s abdomen. It felt empty. He began to weep softly to which Elsa threw herself around him. “I can’t afford to lose you too,” he said. Ander knew what was in Northuldra. All places of power were overrun with monsters.   
“You won’t,” she said and kissed him again as he held her in a crushing embrace.  
The following morning, he shaved and went to the training yard. Anna was waiting for him, sword in hand. She had grown into a fine swordswoman. She pressed the witcher even so far as almost pinning him. It took him a few days, but he was returning to his old self.   
“When do we leave,” Ander asked Garret after training for two weeks. They were in the room the witcher and witch stayed in. with noticeably one bed. Elsa was by his side and her and Ander were hand in hand. The trip made him nervous, not for his safety but for hers.   
“I figure we leave in the next week,” the old witcher replied. Margret stood in the corner by the fire looking into it as if peering into the future. “It will be a long journey you know.”  
“Luckily Nokk and Horse will make it a shorter trip.”  
Garret shook his head. “Can’t have the spirit. If the monsters sense the magic Nokk possesses then it will attract them like a moth to a flame.”  
“What about me,” Elsa inquired.  
“You’ll be fine,” Margret answered, her gaze not breaking from the fire. “You have your husband to protect you after all, but you won’t need his protection. Amongst all of us, you are strongest. My magic is strong and versatile but yours is pure power. Accompanied by your own natural strength you’ll be a force to reckon with.”  
They nodded and left. The hour was late, the clock tower read ten at night. Ander was tired and sore from the constant training he was doing. He even started training with Garret exposing how out of shape he was. The next day of their training Ander was quick to learn, his old reflexes coming back to him. Sleep came fast. He held Elsa tight, her bare skin pressed to his. Ander liked the fact she slept naked beside him, he loved to feel her against him.   
The day of their departure arrived too fast for him. Ander was saddling Horse. He wore his witcher armor, something he hasn’t donned in a very long time. Elsa wore a simple riding outfit, a blue jacket with a white shirt and pants and leather boots. She was bidding Nokk farewell as had she done for Anna. The queen wanted to come with them on their adventure, but this was something only Ander and Elsa could do.   
“Will we be okay,” Elsa asked. Ander heard the hints of concern in her voice.  
He sighed. “I don’t know.” He stopped from saddling Horse and hugged his wife. “All that matters to me is that you’re ok.”  
“And all that matters is that we’re ok.” She held him tight. “I can’t lose you either.”  
“If you two keep with your moment then we won’t be leaving.” Garret was there along with Margret. He had Jackass ready and Margret had a brown horse ready. “Do you need more time?”  
“No,” Elsa replied. They mounted Horse and began to ride off.   
“Thank you,” Ander said. Elsa was holding on to his waist.  
“What for,” she asked.  
“For bringing me back.”


	8. Must Be Kismet

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After tragedy, Ander must confront his destiny and a hard choice is laid in front of him. Does he take the path of a witcher or a man?

The trip to Northuldra was long, too long for Ander’s liking. As they travelled further from Arendelle he noticed how untamed the land was becoming. Villages they passed were scarcely populated, some that bordered Northuldra were abandoned, either by choice or force. Ander saw patches of dried blood in one village alongside chewed bones. Garret kept watch most night though Ander himself could not sleep. They were close to finally figuring out what his and Elsa’s destiny was.   
When they finally reached the stones that marked the beginning of the enchanted forest of Northuldra, Elsa gave a small gasp. Each stone was damaged, the fire and earth stones were nearly rubble. Margret dismounted and placed a hand on each stone.  
“The stone giants are fewer,” she said grimly. “They seem to be fighting against the monsters. The fire and wind spirits have gone into hiding.” She turned to Elsa. “The path to Ahtohallan will take us longer than normal.”  
Garret cursed. The old witcher wanted to make his time in Northuldra short, something Ander knew. If even a fraction of the rumors were true, then Northuldra was lost. Monsters claimed the land as their own, not weak young monsters, but strong and powerful ones. In the distance Ander could have sworn he saw fiends battling over territory.   
“Then we go the long way,” Ander said. He didn’t care how long it took to reach Ahtohallan, he just wanted Elsa safe. They couldn’t risk taking a ship, the Dark Sea was an unforgiving place and no sailor wanted anything to do with the cursed place. If what Elsa said it true, she could freeze the waters long enough for them to pass.   
“We may not have time,” Garret retorted. The old man felt he was duty bound to prevent another disaster. Ander knew he wouldn’t care to throw lives away if it meant stopped the third conjunction. “The quickest way should be our path.”  
“I’m not risking lives.” At first Ander always wondered why they took away emotions when they made witchers. Later in life he knew, emotions cloud judgement, something a witcher couldn’t afford in their lifetime. “We go the long way.”  
“Have you forgotten why we left? This is war and sometimes there have to be sacrifices in war.”  
“If you two keep fighting then I fear that we won’t ever reach our destination,” Margret scolded. Ander turned to Elsa who was staring in the distance.   
“They’re dying,” she said softly. “Something is draining their magic.” Her gaze met Ander’s. “Ander, we don’t need to go towards Ahtohallan, but in that direction.” She pointed towards the east.   
“We need to travel to Ahtohallan,” Garret said angrily. “We need to figure out what happened.”  
“Garret, the girl is right,” Margret said. Her tone was full of concern, something that was unusual for the witch. “I can feel it too though very faintly. There’s magic in that direction, powerful magic. And it’s closer, maybe three days away.”  
Garret shot them each a dirty look. “And if it’s nothing? Maybe those spirits are finally dying from a natural cause.” No one said a word. “Fine, we’ll go to wherever you feel this magic. Then we take the quick way.”  
They made their way to where Elsa said the magic was coming from. As they came closer, even Ander began to feel magic resonating. There was an old ruin, elvish in nature from the designs of the pillars.  
“I’ve never seen this place,” Elsa said softly. Her eyes were wide with amazement, no doubt she had never seen ruins from one of the elder races. “It’s so beautiful.”  
“Elvish architecture is often quite beautiful,” Margret answered. Ander heard the rumors that she once was a historian who studied elvish ruins and their magic. There was no telling how much truth was in the rumors spread through Kaer Ysgol. “And often have magic within them. It seems we wasted out time after all. There’s no telling if it’s old magic or not.”  
“No,” Elsa said sternly. “Gale and Bruni are in there. We’re going.” She dismounted off Horse and made her way to the ruins.   
“I’m sorry,” Ander said. “But I’m putting my trust in Elsa.” Ander followed his wife towards the ruins.  
“Neither one of you is thinking straight,” Garret said. “Just because you lost a child you’re now worried about losses. Ander, this is why we do our duty without emotions. They dull our senses and make us second guess our choices.”  
Ander turned towards his old teacher. “I’m glad that I still have my emotions. Yes, I know I’m worried about losses. But you know what? I’m glad I can make these hard choices, for a life where one can easily turn their backs on people isn’t a life that I ever want to have. Life is about the choices we make, and a happy life is about making the hard choice and I will choose a happy life with her than an easy life without her. I’m going to follow my wife because out of all of us, she’s the strongest, not because of her powers but because she has always made the hard choice.”  
He departed with Elsa. No matter the challenge they would face it together. Ander heard Garret shout curses, saying they doomed the world and he shouted all the way until they opened the door.  
Magic lights lit the room. A single corridor was before them. The ruins were well kept, with paintings and other decorations on the wall. Torches were not needed for the lights went all the way down the corridor. Ander had his steel sword in hand and he and Elsa slowly crept down the hall. When they reached the next room, he saw a flash and Elsa was gone. His heart sank. He couldn’t lose her. Then something came to him. Ander closed his eyes and tried to feel for Elsa’s power. It was faint, levels below him. He ran forward and came across a golem. He hadn’t had time to deal with the automaton and ran past it. Luckily golems are slow and gave no chase to the witcher. A million thoughts raced through his head. Was Elsa safe, was she fighting? He closed his eyes again and focused. She was scared but Ander was closing fast.   
Had he been focusing a moment later the blade would have connected. Ander dodged and threw Aard in the direction of his assailant. It was a specter in the shape of a warrior in heavy plate armor. The specter spoke a foreign language, nothing Ander had ever heard, and he travelled the world and heard many languages. He quickly sheathed his steel sword and drew the silver. The wraith was on him quickly, but Ander did a half spin and swung but the blow went through the ghost dealing no damage and causing Ander to feel its elbow in his stomach. Then he heard an incantation and the wraith stopped and faded away.   
Ander saw Garret and Margret running towards him. “We’d have gotten here sooner if you’d have dealt with that golem,” Garret scolded. “Have you forgotten the mission?”  
“All I’ve ever heard from you two is my destiny,” Ander said angrily. He was in no mood to be talked to like a child. “Well my destiny is here and she’s in trouble.”  
“Ander, we need to go to Ahtohallan.”   
“Fuck Ahtohallan.” Ander continued to descend only for Garret to grab his arm to stop him. “I am not leaving her. She’s close and scared and I will not leave her.”  
“I know,” the old witcher said softly. “Maybe it was the right choice to have us emotionless, maybe it was the wrong one. It’s been so long since we’ve had to make the hard choice, but we cannot forget the mission and without your wife there’s no point to continue. We’ve come to help you Ander.”  
“I felt a strong surge of magic energy coming from the temple,” Margret said. “We must hurry.”   
And so, the three descended, further and further. She was fighting, Ander was certain. Elsa wouldn’t give up without a fight. She was scared but battling her captor.   
Finally, they had reached a laboratory of sort. There, Ander could see Elsa, she was sitting at a table, asleep. He sprinted forward leaving Garret and Margret behind. He yelled, waking Elsa who was happy to see him but quickly faded. Had the witcher paid any attention he would have seen the runes drawn on the room. Had he paid attention, Ander would have heard Garret and Margret shouting for him, to turn around. Ander however did not pay attention, for his wife, his destiny was in front of him, what else mattered?  
Paralysis crept over the witcher. He fell and saw that Garret and Margret were trying to dispel a barrier of magical origin. His sword was so close, but he couldn’t move.  
“Hello Ander,” a voice said. “I’ve been waiting for you.” Ander felt the spell fade and saw the voice came from an elf. His hair was white, whiter than Elsa’s, his features soft but aged, as if he was exhausted from sleepless nights. His eyes were a bright purple and he wore a simple green robe.   
Ander slowly rose and he took his sword in hand. “How do you know who I am?”  
“My name is Soveliss,” the elf answered. Ander noticed he had a small fresh cut across his cheek, no doubt from trying to contain Elsa. “I believe you know why you’re here so there’s no need to monologue.”  
Ander started to circle Soveliss. “Not going to explain your plan? I figure this would go like the songs and stories where the villain would explain themselves.” Ander tried to find an opening, but he was cautious. There was no telling what magic this elf had.   
“What makes you think I’m the villain?”  
“Most heroes don’t bring monsters to the world.” Ander was slowly closing in. If he attacked, he would have to make the first blow the last.  
“Why did you become a witcher,” Soveliss asked. It was strange question to ask someone who was about to strike him down.  
“Ander,” she said softly but said nothing else. She looked frightened but the witcher couldn’t see anything wrong with her.   
“Answer the question,” Soveliss said calmly. “Why did you become a witcher? Why give up a comfortable life to live a life of nothing but hardships and scorn?”  
“Because of her,” Ander said. He stopped, not because he was close enough to trike the elf down, but because he didn’t want Elsa to see him strike down a person the same way he would strike down a monster.   
“Why did you stop witcher,” the elf asked. “Are you not going to strike me down and fulfill your destiny?”  
“My destiny is her, not killing you.” Ander sheathed his sword, much to the elf’s surprise. “What do you want? Most things I hunt don’t speak to me, so I assume there’s a reason for it.”  
“Would you do anything for her,” Soveliss asked. The words echoed in Ander’s head.  
“Yes,” he answered gravely.  
“Yet you sheathe your blade against the man who took your wife.”  
“Is there a reason for this interrogation?”  
Soveliss remained silent for a moment, his gaze piercing Ander. “There is,” he finally answered. “Tell me witcher, do you know why I caused the second conjunction?” Ander shook his head. “I tried to pull someone dear to me from the other side, I tried to harness the power from the conjunction and in my pride, I bent the cosmos to my will. But I failed and it took its toll on me witcher. I won’t lie, it’s taking all my power to contain your wife and maintain that barrier, you could easily strike me down.”  
“You need magic,” Ander said after he realized what was going on. “You baited Elsa and I so you can drain the magic from her body.” Ander’s hand made its way back to his sword. He couldn’t take the chance of listening anymore. This elf wasn’t evil, but he was a threat and Ander would gladly stain his soul to keep Elsa safe. He didn’t draw his sword though. “You’re trying to commit suicide. You’re baiting me to strike you down because you don’t know what’ll happen.”  
“You are correct, witcher,” Soveliss answered in his calm tone. He took a seat and gazed at Ander. “The heart witcher, it will be the quickest way.”  
Ander approached the elf. “What happened,” he asked.  
“I tried to play god and I lost my wife in the process. There’s no telling if the process will bring her back or if she’s still alive.”  
“I don’t want to kill you.” Ander looked back and saw Garret banging on the barrier. He couldn’t hear his old teacher, but Ander knew what he was yelling. He turned to Elsa who remained silent. “If I spare you, will you stop.” Soveliss was silent. Ander knew the answer and what needed to be done. His stomach was in knots. He had killed people before, often without mercy, so why was this time so different? Was it because he related to the elf or something else? “What do you need?”  
“I need magic,” Soveliss answered, still calm and collected as if he knew what Ander would say. “And your wife has the magic I need to complete my spell although there’s no guarantee it would be safe.”  
Ander was afraid of that. “Would she still have her powers?”  
“No. She would be drained completely unlike you.”  
This was not going the way Ander wanted. Every instinct roared at him to strike the elf down, take his head and leave the forsaken place. “What about my powers?”  
This time Soveliss’s calm and collected face faded and a more inquisitive one took its place. “You don’t have enough magic to pull someone through.”  
“What about if you send someone?”  
“What do you mean,” Soveliss asked.   
“I’ve been stealing glances at that journal on your desk. You would need far less magic to send someone to that side. Like you said yourself, there’s no telling if your wife is alive.” Ander drew his sword. “I don’t want to help you kill yourself, but I won’t let you hurt Elsa.” Ander knew the process that strips magic and there was no guarantee it would leave her alive. “I’m giving you a solution, a lesser evil. You can try and find your wife on that side, if anything you’ll get one of your wishes.”  
Soveliss gave Ander a small smile. “What about destiny? It says the two of you must stop me, what if I betray you and take both your powers and kill you?”  
“Then I will join my wife in the afterlife,” Ander answered softly. By this time, he could see the barrier fading. He saw Elsa smiling softly at him. She was proud of him for making the hard choice.   
Soveliss spoke something in a foreign tongue. Ander was feeling the last embers fade. It was painful and he dropped to his knees. It didn’t take long though, but it was enough to keep the witcher down.  
“I either find my wife or I die,” the elf said. He gave Ander a sad smile. “Wi- Ander, thank you.” Soveliss spoke and a portal opened, and he crossed it. Ander was motionless, his legs like jelly. He remembered the words Margret said to him when she spoke of his destiny, that he would die. And he did, the witcher died but the man remained.   
\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
“What happened next mama,” Runa asked. It was midnight at the end of the story. The child was still wide awake and wanted to stay awake.   
“Garret scolded your father and Soveliss was gone,” her mother answered. “I gave you a story so go to sleep,” she said with a giggle. She gently booped her daughter’s nose and laid her down.   
“But mom,” Runa groaned.  
“I know what you’re doing,” Elsa giggled. “You’re waiting for your father.”   
“I miss papa,” Runa said sadly. He hadn’t been back in a few weeks. She felt her mother’s hand on her back.  
“I miss him too.”   
“Yeah cause you wanna kiss him. Yuck.”  
Elsa gave a small laugh. “Yes, I want to kiss your father, but mostly I want his hand in mine. What story do you want to hear now?”  
“The one with the dragon!”  
But before her mother could begin, Runa heard the door open. She darted like a hummingbird, her mother calling for her to come back to bed. But bedtime was for later, her daddy was home. When he saw his daughter, Ander threw her up in the air, caught her and tightly held her.  
“Papa, you’re choking me,” Runa said. Her father always held her tightly after he returned from a contract. His bristles did not help either for they tickled her face. “You need to shave. Mama will be upset about the beard.”  
“It’s not a beard child,” he said grimly. “I was bit by a werewolf and now I must feast of little girls who stay up past bedtime.” Her father began to nibble on her cheeks which tickled greatly causing Runa to laugh fiercely.   
“She’s right though,” Elsa said as she gracefully came into the room. “That beard hides too much of your handsome face.” She walked closer and kissed him lovingly.  
“Yuck,” Runa said. Her parents laughed.  
“Why are you still awake,” her father asked.   
“Cause I wanted to see you papa,” Runa answered. “I missed you.” She threw her arms around him, still in her father’s strong arms. “Mama was telling me stories about how you two met.”  
Ander gave his wife a smile and a look. “I hope your mother… omitted a few details.”  
“I told her the parts that a girl of seven would want to hear about her father,” Elsa said softly. Runa knew her parents loved one another greatly, but when her father came home from a contract, they seemed to resonate that love even greater.   
“Well what story do you want to hear now,” her father asked. He sat in his chair and began rocking Runa, something her father did to soothe her and make her go to sleep.   
“Mama was going to tell me about the dragon.” Runa knew her father was about to tell the story. Her mother took a seat next to them. She closed her eyes and began to imagine what it was like.  
“Well, about a year before you were born, I was contacted by Queen Rapunzel…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, we hope you liked this chapter. Please comment below so we know how we are doing. Next chapter will have smut in it.


	9. The Last Great Adventure

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Roughly six years after the events with Soveliss, Ander and Elsa receive a missive from Corona about a possible dragon situation. The two have had problems with their relationship over the years and Ander swears this will be their last great adventure. Little does he know, that an old flame awaits for him in Corona and something that may tear them apart.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING: This chapter does contain smut.

Ander had completely forgotten. Dealing with the contract on the royal wyvern made him completely forget that today was his sixth wedding anniversary. Had he not gotten a look from Anna he would have walked in to a very pissed off Elsa. He had picked up some flowers before walking back to their room. They were a modest bouquet of cream-colored calendulas, a flower that thrives in the winter, which were his wife’s favorite.   
So much has changed in the world around him. Rapunzel was named queen after the death of her father, Hans won the civil war at the Southern Isles and was making peace, and Arendelle was growing into a great kingdom. Monsters were becoming less of a threat, with some one hundred and fifty witchers coming from Kaer Ysgol out into the world to deal with the supernatural threat.   
Elsa was laying naked on the bed. Ander saw a letter she had opened on the table. Even though six years have passed she still looked to be in her twenties.   
“I figure we could try again,” she said in a sultry voice. He knew what she was referring to. Ander and Elsa had been trying to conceive a child for six years now in between their adventures. Unfortunately, they were only gifted with two miscarriages and a stillborn, each time a little bit of Ander broke away. “The flowers look lovely.”  
“I figured that we could relax for a bit,” Ander replied. He was indeed tired and not acting. “If I had my partner then I may not be so tired.” Elsa had often accompanied him on his adventures. They had fought basilisks, kikimoras, strigas, griffins, just to name a few. They had visited far away lands, going as far as Agrabah in the south to deal with a djinn who nearly destroyed the sultan’s palace. He sat down and began to unlace his boots and saw a closer look at the letter. It bore the royal symbol of Queen Rapunzel.   
“I wanted you to have a nice welcome,” she replied softly. Elsa had thrown her arms around the witcher and began to kiss his neck. Ander could feel her hands going underneath his pants and gently massaging him. He could feel himself being aroused but Ander didn’t feel like doing anything.   
“Elsa,” he said after a moment. It seemed to have been just enough to stop the woman’s advances. She gave Ander a sad look and slunk down onto the bed. “I’m sorry,” he sighed. He knew what she was trying to do but Ander didn’t know if he could deal with another heartbreak like that again.   
“No, it’s ok,” she said softly. She laid down on her side, Ander could see how much she wanted a child. Anna herself had a son, a two-year-old boy who had his mother’s hair but Kristoff’s face and eyes. Anna still trained with the witcher, but less frequently. “You got a letter from Rapunzel about a contract.”   
Ander took the letter and began to read it. Part of him thought they were kidding, that this was a joke.   
“A dragon,” the witcher said after a moment. Dragons and wyverns were often mistaken by the local townsfolk, but a true dragon is a force to be reckoned with. Its flame could melt stone, claws could shred even the strongest plate, and scales that could shatter poorly made weapons.   
“There’s one more thing,” his wife said. “Anna wants me to retake the throne.”  
“You mean she wants you home.” Anna did not fully approve the idea of him and Elsa traveling together completing contracts. But her fears where well placed for the last contract left Elsa here in Arendelle while Ander left to deal with the wyvern.   
“I told her that it would be pointless since we can’t have kids.” That stung the witcher greatly. Both he and his wife wanted children, but they were met with misfortune every time.   
“But you could pass the throne to her son.” Ander went over to comfort Elsa. He had taken off his shirt and held her close. The feeling of her cool, smooth skin always pleased the witcher.  
“If I die,” she said. “You heard what Margret said, the spirits will keep me alive for an eternity.”  
“That’s yet to be proven, you’re the first person to be a spirit Elsa.” Ander heard the witch’s words all too well. She said that Elsa would live on while her family died off, something the woman had feared since that fateful day six years ago.  
“And what if I do,” she asked sadly. “What if you and Anna grow old and die, then what? Anna has a child that will remind me of my sister but… what about you? What do I have of you to remind me of the love we shared?”  
Ander slid his hand between her breasts, towards her heart. “I’ll live on in here, I may be a memory, but I’ll be your memory. The aching in your heart won’t go away after I pass, but I’ll live to be old, with most witchers make it past a century, and we’ll make memories together, one’s that will live on forever in you.” He pressed his lips to hers and they both were lost in a deep kiss.   
She laid her head on his chest, a common place for it. Ander loved having Elsa close. For a time, he was lost but she pulled him back. “When did this letter come in,” Ander asked.   
“Two days ago.” Elsa had intertwined her fingers with his. There was a melancholy to her voice which brought concern to the witcher. “Do you have to go? I’ve read stories on dragons and they’re all terrifying.”  
“Those are stories,” he assured his wife. But most stories were true, dragons are terrifying and a force to be reckoned with. “I could use my partner in this though.”  
“What about Anna wanting me to stay?”  
“This will be our last great adventure,” he replied. Ander gently pushed Elsa’s hair back from her face and gave her a look, one she knew too well. She was the most beautiful sight to the witcher. “And I’ll stay as well on one condition, I know you’ve wanted me home for a while now.”  
“What’s that,” she asked. The smile was returning to her face, one the witcher always sought, for even in the darkness that he lived in, Elsa’s smile was his shining light that guided Ander.   
“Don’t take the throne.” Ander did not want to share his wife with the world, or anyone for that matter. “We’ll retire to the forest, make a lovely home there. With all the contracts I’ve had, I’ve saved enough to build a home there and this one from Rapunzel will be extra money we could use to make our dream home.”  
“And what will we do when the money from you being a witcher runs out,” she giggled. The idea was pleasant to Elsa, that much Ander could tell.  
“Well your sister did offer me a seat as a counselor.”  
“You, sitting down and talking politics?” Ander hated politics but it would be a sacrifice he would make to avoid being called king. “Now that I would pay to see.” She got out of bed and started going through dressers and packing.  
It was evening when they finally arrived. The boat ride to Corona was short, shorter than when he needed to travel from there to Arendelle. Anna was not pleased with the idea that the two of them were going to fight a dragon, even threatening to go with them, but Ander assured her that the best thing for her to do was be queen to her people and let him and Elsa deal with the dragon. Eventually the queen backed down and allowed them to set sail. Corona was much like Arendelle, for it too was growing greatly, however Arendelle looked small when compared to Corona.   
Guards escorted Ander and Elsa to a small chamber where Rapunzel, Eugene, and the captain of the guard, Cassandra, were waiting for them. Ander saw another woman, roughly his height, lithe with hints of muscle. Dark brown hair flew down in curly locks and her eyes were like steel, a dark grey, almost black in certain lights. He knew the woman from days long in the past.  
“Mara,” he said with disbelief. Mara was a girl, the only one, at Kaer Ysgol who trained with them to be a witcher and, while she couldn’t do the trial of the grasses, she was skillful in both sword and magic. Her and Ander where the same age but it looks like she hadn’t aged at all, still retaining much of her natural beauty.  
“Hello witcher,” the woman said. Her eyes shifted back and forth between Elsa and him. “I see you’ve gone and started a family.” She was dressed in her standard equipment, leather armor and two shortswords, one for each hand. She walked towards Elsa and extended a hand. “Mara. I went to Kaer Ysgol with Ander here.”  
Elsa took the hand awkwardly. “Elsa. Ander hasn’t talked much about Kaer Ysgol so I’m sorry if I come off as surprised. I thought they didn’t have female witchers.”  
“They don’t and it doesn’t surprise me that Ander hasn’t talked to me.” She shot Ander a look and remained silent after that. He knew that look all too well while they spent their time at Kaer Ysgol.  
“We wrote Mara here because she has studied dragons,” Rapunzel said. She was in a regal purple outfit befit for a queen. Cassandra was in beautifully made leather armor with a shield and sword slung on her back. Eugene was in a fine dark green suit with black pants. “And when we heard that she went to Kaer Ysgol with you, I thought it would be best for you to have an extra set of eyes and hands.”  
“Yes, well Ander so loved these… hands when we studied at Kaer Ysgol.” Mara was still the same, sarcastic and always thinking she was witty. “Why we would be in the library for hours studying ghouls and sirens and other monsters.”  
Ander remained silent. It looked to him that Elsa was either playing obliviousness or wasn’t paying the other woman much mind, but Ander saw her shoot Mara a dirty look. “So, what’s the story with this dragon,” she asked. Elsa was always good at keeping her cool.   
“It’s a red dragon,” Mara said, not allowing Rapunzel a word in. “Probably made its lair here to gather treasure. I’ve already found the lair, maybe two days journey on foot.” She pointed on the map towards a small mountain range due east.   
“Has this dragon tried to attack any settlements,” Ander asked. “There’s two mining towns near these mountains, are there any word on them?”  
“They’ve been sent word,” Cassandra answered. “So far they’ve remained.”  
“Have they been attacked?” Ander wanted to make sure that this dragon was an actual threat and not something benign.  
“Why wait to see if they get attacked,” Mara asked.  
“Because we don’t kill non-threatening creatures,” Elsa said, her tone like ice. If her tone was any colder, she may have iced the room over. She shot Mara a loathsome gaze to which the other woman shot her a steely look.   
“Most dragons are threatening, if you were a witcher and not fucking one you’d know that.” Mara left the room and smacked Ander’s ass as she passed by. He could feel a flush, one of embarrassment and one of anger. “And sister, been there, done that,” she said before she closed the door behind her.  
The room was silent, all eyes on Ander. He was speechless. Mara always knew how to keep him quiet. It was Elsa who broke the silence in the room. “Rapunzel, when are we leaving.” Ander could also see a flush on her face and fire in her eyes. She was pissed. Ander would rather fight the dragon at this point than have the conversation he was about to have.  
“Tomorrow,” she answered. There was still awkward looks on everyone’s faces. “You depart at six, we already have horses ready for you.”  
“Thank you.” Elsa gave a small bow and took Ander’s hand and gave a look that said to follow. He did so very obediently. While he was brave and strong, Elsa was a force to be reckoned with when angered and chances are, he may very well die tonight depending on how the conversation went.   
They retired to their room. It was a lavish guest room, with two dressers, both with mirrors, a large king-sized bed, and a small balcony. Ander sat on the bed and began to unlace his boots. Elsa approached him with her arms crossed, the fire still in her eyes.   
“So, would you like to explain who that woman was,” she said. Her voice sent a small chill through Ander.   
“Just a friend,” he said quickly. He was trying to hurry and get ready for bed just to avoid this conversation. “You know, the journey was long, and I am quite tired.” Ander tried to pull the covers back only to see Elsa had already froze them over.   
“Again, who was that woman,” she said enunciating her words.   
Ander sighed. There was no way around this conversation. “She was a friend at Kaer Ysgol who I had certain… benefits with.”  
“You mean sex.”  
“Elsa, that was the past.” He rose from the bed and went to try and comfort her. “Besides, my ass is yours.”  
That didn’t console her though. She still had fire in her eyes and Ander knew that fire wouldn’t be quelled quite so easily. “We can deal with this dragon, just the two of us.”  
“That’s not my call.”  
“But you can talk to Rapunzel and tell her- “  
“That we don’t need someone who has dedicated her life to the study of supernatural creatures?” He knew what this journey would do to his and Elsa’s relationship, but it was a job for people who helped him, and Ander felt he owed them everything.   
“What about you,” Elsa asked. This time the fire was starting to fade and instead being replaced with icy desperation. “Why do we need her?”  
“Because she’s an expert in this field.”  
Elsa went and sat on the bed for she was defeated. Ander went and hugged her, and she began to sob. “I don’t want to lose you,” she said.   
The past few years had been hard on them, between the pregnancy losses and the fact that Elsa wanted Ander to stay and give up the witcher life, they would often be at odds with one another. But the contracts gave a certain… peace to the witcher. He was often afraid that it would be one argument too many and Elsa would finally leave him.   
“Elsa,” he said gently, brushing her hair from her face. He gently kissed her which she graciously accepted. “Look at the rings around our fingers. I promise, this is our last contract. Then it’s you and me.”  
“That’s what I’m afraid of.” She sunk into the bed and invited the witcher to hold her, to which he happily accepted. Ander gazed into her eyes and suddenly the world around him was meaningless, all that mattered was her.   
“We’ll try again,” he said softly.   
“What if we’re not meant to have children?”  
Ander didn’t say anything. What could he say to the person he loved more than anything that this may very well be their future?   
Morning came too soon. Ander awoke and began to don his armor. Elsa was already awake, brushing her hair. She wore her normal travel outfit for when they did contracts. A white shirt and pants with a light blue jacket.   
“How’d you sleep,” she asked.   
“I always sleep good next to you,” Ander answered. He had finished lacing his boots and retrieved his swords. They went down to the stables, hand in hand, where Mara was waiting for them alongside Rapunzel. Elsa had a very sour look on her face when she saw the woman.  
“Don’t worry,” Mara said. “I won’t be trying to advance on your man.” Ander knew that Mara wouldn’t try anything while making their way to the dragon’s lair. Afterwards though was different. He noticed that her she had cleavage showing, which was a pleasant sight to the witcher.   
“Yes,” Elsa said scornfully. “He is my man.” She went and mounted a horse, a chestnut brown one. Ander took the black and Mara took the grey and white. The journey would be two days on foot and roughly half a day on horse.  
They rode off, taking the road to the closest mining settlement. When they reach the settlement, they would have to walk the rest of the way, for there was no real path to the lair, but it was only four maybe five hours according to the maps.   
“When we get to the town, then what,” Elsa asked as they approached the settlement. They were maybe an hour away from it.   
“We should rest,” Ander said. Nightfall was approaching soon and when they reached the settlement it would be late.   
“Why wait,” Mara complained. “We could sneak in and kill the beast before it flies off.”  
“Because it will be too late.”  
“You just want to make sure your wife is rested.” Mara’s tone was very insolent. She was always a proud woman, much of this was unchanged with the passing of time.   
“I can go all night,” Elsa retorted.   
“I’m sure you can, but Ander knows I can go two nights.” The woman’s tone was starting to become tiresome.   
“Will you stop it,” he scolded. Ander felt like a parent breaking up two siblings. It seemed to have worked for both women stopped their bickering and glared at each other.   
“Fine,” Mara said angrily. “We’ll rest at the inn. I hope your highness can handle it; this isn’t like sleeping in a castle.”   
“Oh, I can handle it,” Elsa replied with an evenly matched tone.   
They continued their journey in silence, but Ander could feel the tension. Thankfully the ride wasn’t too long. The settlement was a small one but well built. This was a chief supply area for iron and silver and was well fortified with their own walls and militia. A round man approached; one Ander knew too well.  
“Hello Duke Steffan,” Ander said slyly. “How has your life been since our last encounter?”  
The duke shot daggers into Ander. “I’m duke no longer. It’s alderman now.” He grumbled about his demotion to the witcher, trying to keep his insults to himself however due to Ander’s mutations he heard them. “I take it you’re here to deal with the dragon?”  
“We are,” Elsa replied in a kind tone. Ander hadn’t ever told her the story of how he first encountered Steffan. “Where is your local inn? We wish to stay for a night.  
Steffan’s eyes widened with disbelief. “Of all the luckiest shits you witcher are the luckiest!”  
“It’s not like that,” Ander replied. Steffan kept rambling, spouting curses. He eventually pointed them to the inn but not before complaining about the dragon. Mara shared the complaints but went to the inn regardless.   
The inn was a modest one, nicer than most. It smelled of hot beef stew and beer. The owner, a woman of fifty, said there’s always a room since few travelers come this way. The room Ander and Elsa shared was small. One dresser with a small mirror and a bed was the only furniture.   
“Elsa,” Ander began after they changed into evening wear. She wore a purple and white gown and he simply took off his shirt. “I need you to keep the peace with Mara, at least until we get back to Corona.”  
“I need to keep the peace,” Elsa retorted very angrily. Instead of ice in her voice it was fire. “Why don’t you talk to that trollop and tell her to stop looking at your ass.”  
Before they could continue this talk, Ander heard commotion coming from outside. He looked out the window and saw people gathering, saying they would kill the dragon themselves. Then a group of men, who dressed in black armor and atop horses, approached the crowd. They said they would deal with the dragon themselves and rode off. Dragon hunters, Ander thought. He hated dragon hunters for most dragons simply wish to live in peace atop a small treasure horde.   
Ander awoke to the smell of fire and smoke. He saw Elsa was already up, changing into her travel outfit. Ander quickly donned his armor, grabbed his swords and sprinted outside. People were screaming around him, and he saw a terrible sight flying overhead. The red dragon had left its lair and descended on the town. Elsa was trying to put the fires out and Mara… where was Mara? She was in the room right next to theirs, so where was she?  
He saw Elsa shoot a spear of ice at the beast, but it only grazed the wing. The dragon came down on them. Ander tackled his wife out of the way, leaving them both prone.   
“Witcher,” the dragon said. “I have been expecting you.”  
Ander prepared himself and Elsa sent ice spikes towards the monster that stood before them. The dragon was big as a house, with blood red scales and claws black like ebony. The dragon extended one of its powerful arms and swung at the ice, shattering it. The ice however did some damage for Ander saw blood slowly seep from the wound. Then the beast inhaled and breathed a cone of fire at the pair but Quen held against the onslaught of flames. The beast flew off again but was intercepted by another spell, one of lightning.  
“You see Ander,” Mara began in her normal proud tone, “this is why we kill monsters.” Her spell brought the dragon crashing down onto a stone house. The beast was hurt and disoriented but quickly regained itself. Ander charged the beast while Elsa sent ice towards it to which the monster tried to swipe at the witcher. Had he been a normal man, Ander would have been cleaved by the monster’s powerful claws, but he quickly dodged and struck the beast. The blow wasn’t enough however, and Ander’s sword was stuck in the dragon and the beast sent a powerful backhand at the witcher, knocking his breath out of him as he crashed into the rubble on the house. Elsa’s ice tore into the dragon’s wing, ripping it to shreds and causing the beast to roar in pain. Ander used Aard on the beast to dislodge his sword but failed. He regained his breath and ran for his sword, dodging both fire and claw. Mara was escorting people to safety. She did her job, bringing the dragon down, now it was Ander and Elsa’s turn to do theirs.  
After Ander reclaimed his sword, the beast knocked him through the wooden wall of the inn. He was disoriented. Ander saw Elsa’s ice tear through the other wing and into the beast’s back leg. The dragon turned its fiery maw to the woman and was about to breath hell fire down upon her. Then Ander heard a different roar and jaws sink around the neck of the red dragon and the beast be flung into a nearby building. He quickly rose and ran over to his wife as fast as he could. Ander could hardly believe his eyes. There was a second dragon, only silver, fighting the red. The silver dragon was larger with scars across its sides. The red dragon, who was already weary from the battle with the witcher and Elsa, was an easy kill for the silver. After a loud snap, the silver dragon turned to the couple who stood motionless.  
“Greetings Ander,” the dragon said, bowing its head. “My name is Aekoiss.”  
Ander looked around and saw no villagers, much to his thanks. “Thank you Aekoiss,” he said, panting hard. This battle was hard, much harder than he had expected.  
“Tell me witcher,” Aekoiss hissed. “What was your original intentions with Diersa here?” The dragon’s eyes, which shone like amber, pierced through the witcher and left him speechless. “Where you going to kill him like the riders in black? Maybe I should have let him ravage this town. Had you not been here I would have.”  
“We wanted to see what was going on,” Elsa said shakily. No doubt the same fear that gripped Ander did her as well. “We were contracted to see what the intentions of this dragon was.”  
“She speaks the truth,” Ander said. “We weren’t going to kill Diersa if we could have avoided it.”  
“Then it was a good thing I intervened,” Aekoiss said. “Tell me witcher, have you ever wondered why you are always being saved?” The thought had occurred to him more than once, but Ander always guessed it was due to dumb luck. “It is because fate is not yet done with you.”  
“What do you mean,” the witcher asked. “Soveliss was stopped, sent to the other side. We prevented a third conjunction.”  
“Your destiny is done, that much is true. However, your child’s is yet to be decided.” Then the dragon turned into a man. He looked to be about forty, with a small grey goatee and curly grey hair. He wore a simple outfit, leather pants and a leather tunic.   
“And what are you,” the witcher asked, his voice full of rage. “Some agent of destiny?”  
“Yes,” the now man replied. His tone was a kindly one, if not soothing which quelled Ander’s anger. “You shall bear a child and it is yet to be seen what she will bring to the world.” Elsa threw her arms around Ander, whispering that they would have a child. “I never said you both would bear a child. I simply said the witcher.” All joy had left Elsa’s face and all that remained is a cold emptiness.   
“What do you mean,” she asked softly.   
“Ander, your destiny was to kill the elf and then die from one of his spells. That’s what those runes were for in his lab, specifically designed to kill you when you struck him down. That destiny was averted and now… no one knows what shall be brought upon the world.”  
“But… we’re together.” Aekoiss simply gazed at Elsa, to which she began to weep softly. She pushed Ander away and left back to the remnants of the inn. Luckily it hadn’t sustained much damage, just a witcher sized hole. Aekoiss turned back into a dragon and flew off. Ander saw Mara just standing there.  
“Do you want to do this here or go back to my room,” she asked with a small chuckle. “I’m not like your queen there. I can have children.”  
“Fuck off Mara.” Ander was in no mood for her jokes. She walked over to the witcher and met his gaze.   
“You’d like me to fuck off wouldn’t you,” she asked in a sultry tone. “Just like the old days in the library.” She had begun to circle Ander, like when a predator catches their prey. “You always were the best.”  
He could have walked away but didn’t. Ander still cared for Mara and maybe his life with Elsa was over. But before he could say anything, she had assaulted his lips with hers. He loved having her lips to his but… something was wrong. It was in this moment that he couldn’t do it. He pushed Mara away and without a word went to his and Elsa’s room.   
Elsa was packing and crying. She only looked up to see who had entered the room and then resumed her task.   
“Go,” she said, fighting the tears. “Go be with Mara, or Cassandra or whomever. A life with them would be easier than with me.” This time the tears flowed like waterfalls down her face.   
Ander went and embraced his wife. She was struggling to break free from his grasp, even so far as to use her magic to cause him to let go of her due to the bone chilling cold. He didn’t. Eventually, she stopped and wept.  
They rode back to the castle the following morning, just the two of them. Mara stayed behind to help with the townspeople after the destruction the red dragon wrought upon the mining settlement. They were grateful that the dragon was stopped, but the settlers knew that repairs were needed. Ander would often look to see if his wife was still beside him. Her body was there, but Elsa was gone.   
It was late when they finally reached back to the castle. Rapunzel was awaiting them and nearly tackled Ander and Elsa upon their arrival. She asked many questions, mostly concerning what happened. Ander said that he would answer at another time, after a hot bath. Both he and Elsa were covered in sweat and dirt.   
They were taken to a large bathroom and given privacy. The bathroom was a new addition to the castle and quite elegant. The tub was a great one, filled with hot water and bubbles. Ander approached his wife, still in her riding outfit. Her eyes were empty, as if her very soul had left her.   
“Hey,” he softly said, trying to reach her. She looked at him but remained silent. He began to undress her, picked her up and gently laid her in the large tub. Ander joined her after a moment and sat behind her. He began to wash her, removing the dirt from her pale body. Elsa remained motionless and silent. After a few minutes, Ander began to speak.  
“A life with Mara would be easy,” he said, his fingers stroking his wife’s hair to wash it. “But I don’t want an easy life with Mara, I want a life with you, no matter how difficult it is.” Her gaze met his and Ander saw the pain and sadness in her eyes. Even without their magic connection, he could still read Elsa by looking in her eyes. “Will you come back to me,” he whispered.  
She slowly leaned in for a kiss. After they had separated Ander saw the life returning to Elsa’s eyes. He could feel the waters getting colder. “Maybe we should go back to bed,” he asked. His wife nodded.   
Ander was in bed, waiting for her. Elsa said she had something special for him. When he saw his surprise, Ander’s jaw almost dropped. Elsa was in a lapis blue corset, noticeably without undergarments, with a clear blue cloak flowing behind her. “What do you think,” she asked. Ander didn’t have to say anything, she knew he loved it.   
Elsa was very shy, for she had never had anything like this on when her and Ander made love. Ander noticed the shyness in her. “Hey,” he said quietly. “You look gorgeous.” He saw a small smile appear on her face, a smile he loved deeply. She joined him in the bed, straddling his thighs as they began to kiss, slowly and deeply. Ander moved to kiss her neck by her pressure point, pulling a low moan from her. Elsa smelled sweet, for she wore a perfume that the witcher became caught up in, making her smell like vanilla. Ander unlaced her corset, painstaking slow, revealing a pale body that he had always loved to see. He wanted to savory her, every morsel, every moan.   
He flipped her easily, resting Elsa underneath his larger frame. He began to toy with one of her nipples with his mouth which was greeted with small gasps of pleasure as her back arched off the sheets. Ander continued to shift downward towards her core, kissing his path down her abdomen. He proceeded to play with her sex, first lightly stroking her with his fingers, then with his tongue. Elsa became so consumed with pleasure; Ander used his large hands to hold her hips in place. She deserved so much, and he planned to give it all to her for as long as there was breath in his lungs. He heard his wife whimper, saying she needed him. Ander removed his trousers and moved back to tower over her. Elsa’s eyes were wet with tears that had yet to fall. Ander gingerly touched her face, as if she was the finest vase, ready to break with the slightest tap. He pressed a soft kiss to her lips. Elsa threw her arms around his neck, pulling him to her lips with such force.   
Ander’s senses went crazy, between her scent and her touch, it took everything in him not to ravish her. His member was already hard as he took it in hand, positioning it at her entrance. They both let out a shaky breath as he slowly pushed in. Ander stroked Elsa’s smooth, white hair as he kissed her as he became fully seated inside her.   
“I love you,” he said. He gently kissed her forehead.  
“I love you too,” she replied.  
Ander began to move gently, she felt exquisite, squeezing him in just the right places. Elsa moved to wrap her legs around his back in an effort to pull him closer, she wanted more of him. She could tell he was pulling his punches. After the first miscarriage, Elsa could feel him slipping away ever so slightly. They’d been through so much, and Ander never wanted to be a source of stress or unhappiness. “Ander,” She said, pulling his face up to meet her eyes, “I’m not made of glass.”  
Ander’s eyes widened a little, fire building within him. This wasn’t about Mara or a baby, this was about him and Elsa and the carnal need to reclaim one another. In that instant, the rest of the world melted away, leaving only her holding on to him tightly. Ander’s hips snapped forward, eliciting a moan from his wife as her head fell back. This wasn’t sex or even love making; it was a desperate need to feel whole, a need that they both found within each other. Ander pressed his mouth to Elsa’s, molding it to hers perfectly as he set a bruising pace. Sounds of panting, moaning, and slapping skin echoed through the room, but neither were concerned with censoring themselves.  
Elsa clawed at his back, holding on for dear life as the pressure in her stomach built to a peak. She came, his name leaving her lips. Ander was not to far off, a few more pumps before spilling over into her with a roar. He braced himself on his forearms, framing her head, using every ounce left of his strength to stop himself from collapsing and smothering her. Elsa shook like a leaf, fresh tears pouring over her lids. Ander flopped to the side pulling her into his chest and sobs wracked her body. He knew that these were not tears of sadness or anger, but of happiness and love.  
\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
Runa was fast asleep in Ander’s arms when he finished the omitted story. He hadn’t told her of his and Elsa’s love making which led to the girl’s conception, nor of the part about her having a destiny. He still remembered the day Elsa gave birth to the child. He was pacing something fierce, Kristoff trying to calm him. His wife was in the other room, and for once he wanted to block out his enhanced senses, for he heard her panting hard. Then came the scream, Anna and a nurse yelling to push. Ander crashed into the room and went to his knees. There, he saw a beautiful baby girl, with hair white as snow, being passed from the nurse to Elsa, and he wept.   
“I worry about her,” Elsa said.  
“So do I,” he said softly. Ander gently picked up his daughter and carried her to bed. He tucked her in and gently kissed her forehead as he would do Elsa. He and his wife retired to the bathroom to which he hopped in a hot bath in along with her. Elsa was sitting in his lap as they bathed.   
“She still hasn’t shown any signs of having powers,” his wife said. “She’s nearing eight and so far, nothing.”  
“The mages I went said she had a great power,” Ander replied. While Elsa was bathing, he was enjoying the sight of her nakedness.   
“You’re distracted.”  
“And you’re beautiful.” She put a hand to his face and gave a giggle.  
“This will have to go.”  
“I think I look very dignified with a beard.”  
“It hides too much of your handsome face.”  
They both sat in silence for a moment. Ander had been trying to figure out what destiny had planned for his daughter, lying and telling her they were witcher contracts. This trip was to mages in the west, who claimed to be experts in the field of magical studies. But when it came to Runa, they were clueless. All they said was she had power.   
“What are we going to do,” Elsa asked. “Eventually she’ll figure out there’s no contracts. And Runa misses you, almost as much as I do.”  
“And I miss you two,” he replied. He obtained a new medallion from Garret, but had it modified to hold a picture of his family, much to the old witcher’s disapproval. “I’ve travelled the world and can’t find anything.”  
“Maybe she’s just… normal.” The words echoed through his head. If Runa was powerless, then all this time away was for naught and Ander would much rather spend time with his wife and daughter. He was so excited during the pregnancy and childbirth, but the dragon’s words were always haunting him.   
“If she’s in trouble then it’s my job- “  
“It’s our job.” Elsa laid her head back on his chest. He could feel her hand in his. “You two are my world, and nothing will stop us from being together.”  
Ander learned something tonight. This last adventure was his last as a witcher and tomorrow would begin a new adventure of fatherhood.


	10. The Connection

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A day of celebration turns catastrophic as destiny arrives.

Ander was sleeping peacefully next to his wife. He had been home for almost a month now and was loving every moment of it. His quest to find out what his daughter’s destiny was all for naught. Even though both her parents possessed immense magical power, she was powerless. Not that it bothered Runa, she was just happy her papa was home. Elsa was happy too, for he had hardly been home due to his journeys.   
Ander awoke before Elsa, she slept next to him in her purple nightgown. It was his second favorite thing on her. His favorite thing was what she wore during Runa’s conception, her lapis blue corset. Today was a very special day, his daughter’s eighth birthday. Ander had something special made for his daughter, now that he would be home for good, he wanted her to learn something.   
He heard a small set of feet come running towards their room and in burst in a smaller version   
of Elsa with grey eyes. She leapt into the bed with a squeal.   
“Wake up,” Runa squealed. Her hair was down, the white locks of hair flowing wildly.   
“What is it child,” Ander asked. He was holding onto his wife tightly who was stirring awake. Elsa’s hair mimicked Runa’s, her white hair was always wild in the morning.   
“Did you forget what today was,” Elsa asked sleepily.   
“I’m eight today,” Runa yelled excitedly.   
“Yes, you are eight today and this morning, mama’s making breakfast.” Runa gave Elsa a look to which she gave a small laugh. “Ok, papa is making breakfast.” It’s not that Elsa couldn’t cook; it’s just Ander was a better one.   
He made pancakes, plain for him and Elsa, and chocolate chip for Runa. Runa hurriedly gobbled down her breakfast and went to get dressed leaving Ander and Elsa alone.   
“Today’s the big day,” Elsa said. “I think this is the first birthday party you’ve attended since she was three.” She was slowly eating her breakfast, still with half a cake. Ander had already finished his. “So, what did you get her.”  
“Oh, nothing really,” he said. “Just a sword.” He said that rather quickly, hoping his wife wouldn’t fully hear him.  
Elsa however choked on a bite of pancake. “What did you say?”  
“Just… a sword.”  
“Ander, she’s eight.”  
“That’s why it’s a shortsword.” The witty answer did not make her laugh nor please her. “Look, it’s just for her protection.”  
“Ander, she’s a child.”  
“Who is supposedly destined for greatness.”  
Before they could finish their conversation, Runa came running back. She was dressed in boots, simple black pants and a clean blue shirt. The girl did not care for dresses, nor other girl things. She had on her hip a wooden toy sword. “I’m ready for training,” she said. Cheerfully, Elsa gave him a look.  
“I said I’d teach you one day, and today isn’t that day,” he replied. The joy in the girl’s expression faded. He went over and picked his daughter up and taking her in a tight embrace. “I’ve got to help your aunt with managing the kingdom.” Ander was appointed to Anna’s council, alongside her sister, General Mattias who mostly stayed at his desk instead of spending his time with his soldiers, and Honeymaren, chief of the people of Northuldra, who was a former lover of his wife (much to his arousal).  
Ander kissed his wife goodbye and gave Runa a forehead kiss. Ander mounted Horse and left towards the castle. Their home was only about half an hour from the castle, right next to a river. It was a modest home, one story with a basement that Ander used for training. It also had a small stable, to which Horse and Nokk stayed in. Ander wore his witcher armor and always carried his steel sword with him. Anna insisted that he wear something more formal, but he insisted that he wear this because almost every time he’s in the castle, there’s a fight.   
They were sitting at a small table with Anna at the head of the table. She reserved a seat by her right side closest to her for the witcher. Ander wondered when Reynard, Anna’s son, would join the council with his mother. He was a gentle boy, only ten years old. He was a smart boy, but preferred books to the sword. Anna however taught him basic defense should the need arise that he should have to defend himself.   
“You’re late,” the queen said to the witcher. He was only fifteen minutes late, better than normal. Ander hated being on the council, but he made a deal with Elsa, so it was better than being a king. Anna had aged well, showing little signs of aging.   
“Forgive me,” he began, “breakfast went longer than expected.” He took his seat and they began. Mattias talked about how the soldiers are doing, good as expected. Honeymaren spoke of returning to Northuldra to which Ander said it would take many generations before the Northuldrians could return to their home. Even though many witchers graduated from Kaer Ysgol, many hadn’t travelled to Arendelle or Northuldra. A few did and were paid well, but it would bankrupt the kingdom to clear all monsters.   
“We have a guest as well,” Anna said and she gave Ander a look, one that said he wouldn’t like this guest. And he didn’t. In walked in a tall man, with red hair and sideburns, sporting a goatee that matched the color of his hair, and a small scar from a sword on his cheek. He was dressed in a white suit with black pants and bore a rapier on his side. “Hello King Hans.”  
“Thank you, Your Grace.” Hans spoke with all the dignity of a king and showed the council great respect, but Ander still didn’t like the man, but he was the lesser of the evils at the Southern Isles. He spoke of a treaty with Arendelle, one that would indeed be beneficial to both kingdoms. Arendelle was in an economic boom, one achieved from Anna’s stout leadership. Thankfully, it hadn’t expanded like Corona, for when slums come into play, so does the crime.   
After Hans left, Anna approached Ander. Honeymaren and Mattias were speaking about sending a regiment to Northuldra, one that Ander knew would prove fatal.   
“How’s Runa,” the queen asked him. She was worried about her niece, for Ander and Elsa told her what the silver dragon told them about Runa.   
“She’s fine,” the witcher replied. “She’s still wanting to learn how to use a sword.”  
Anna gave a chuckle. “I’m sure Elsa is loving that idea.”  
In truth, Ander did not want his daughter to learn how to be a witcher. He wanted her to live a normal life, free from the worries that he and his wife had to worry about as children.   
“She’ll really love it when I give Runa her sword.”  
“Already?” Anna’s voice was full of concern again. “She’s so young.”  
Before Ander could say another word, Elsa came crashing in the room, tears in her eyes. “Ander, someone grabbed Runa! Two men, they had black moons on their armor.” She practically threw herself into Ander’s arms.   
Honeymaren quickly came over. “Are you sure it was black moons?” Elsa nodded in response.  
Ander felt something, they both felt something. And it was close, still in the kingdom by his guess. He and Elsa both ran off before in search of the origin point but they didn’t need to search far. They found a building by the docks where this… power came from. Ander drew his sword and kicked in the door only to find his daughter, crying, surrounded by ashes and icy statues. A man in the distance was still alive, barely by the way his heartbeat. Elsa ran over and comforted Runa while Ander found the man. The man was probably in his thirties, black hair and scars on his face, some old, some new. Ander heard him curse and then scream out when the witcher twisted his leg, breaking it with a loud crack.   
“Last thing we want is for you to run off,” Ander told the man. He went over to his wife and daughter and comforted both of them. “Runa, what happened?”  
“These men tied me up,” she said shakily. She wiped the tears away from her eyes, trying to stay strong. “They said they needed me and then… they froze and burned.” She buried her head in her mother’s chest. “They called me The Connection.”  
They took Runa back to the castle as well as her captor. Runa was in her mother’s arms while Ander dragged the man by his good leg. When they reached the castle, Elsa took Runa to the council chambers while Ander took his guest to the cells. He flung the man against the wall and gave him a good kick in the ribs.  
“Now,” the witcher said grimly. “Would you like tell me why the fuck you kidnapped my daughter?”  
“She’s your daughter,” the man asked. He was shocked by the way his voice sounded and afraid by the way it trembled. That got him another kick to the ribs, more than likely breaking a few. Ander was angry and, unfortunately, this man was alive for Ander to vent his rage.   
“Why yes, she’s my daughter.” He grabbed the man by the throat and slammed him against a wall. “Now, before I lose my temper anymore and crush your throat, you should talk.”  
“You’ll just kill me when you can, you fucking freak.” The man spat blood at the witcher which was rewarded with a fist in his stomach.   
“Yes, I will kill you, but depending on your answers, I will either kill you quickly or the fun way.” The witcher was angry. These people hurt him family, his child, something he was never supposed to have, and now he was angry. Whatever resolve the man had, it was broken.  
The man told him all he knew. He was nothing more than an initiate to some cult and that his captain was disintegrated. Ander nodded and left only to come back with an axe. The man pissed his pants, knowing what was coming. Ander swung, and swung, and swung until all the remained of the man’s skull was a pulp of blood and brain.   
Ander left the room again and went to a washroom. He looked in the mirror and saw a monster. He grabbed a rag and wetted it and was about to wash until he threw the rag and screamed. He was still angry. Ander leaned against the mirror and retrieved the rag. He was panting, sweat dripping down his face. He cleaned himself and went to the council chamber. He was welcomed with a glare from Honeymaren and looks of disbelief from the sisters and general.   
“Who are you,” Honeymaren asked coldly. Ander knew all too well the distrust Northuldra had for witchers, but he had hoped they had accepted him.  
“What do you mean,” the witcher asked. Ander was in no mood for foolish questions.   
“They called Runa The Connection,” Elsa said slowly. “A title reserved to the child born with the powers of the spirits of Northuldra… and with the power of the faction who rebelled against the spirits.”  
Ander was just as shocked as they were. “What do you mean?”  
“There’s a story,” Honeymaren began, “that a faction from Northuldra tried to weaponize the magic the spirits used. They stole some of the magic from each spirit and it formed a great flame and passed it along a loyalist family, but it was too much for one person to handle that much raw magic.” The Northuldrian grabbed a sword and approached the witcher. She pointed it towards his throat, but Ander remained motionless.  
“I don’t know where my powers came from,” he said.  
“Lies,” Honeymaren said.  
“I don’t know where my powers came from.” He looked to Elsa who must have seen the dried blood on his hands, something he forgot to wash off. The rage was building in him, but he remained motionless.   
“Where did you powers come from?” She pressed the sword closer, the point at his throat now.  
“I told you, I don’t know.” Ander wanted to yell that but said it calmly. Runa was in the room, asleep from her ordeal.   
“Honeymaren.” Anna’s voice was enough for the woman to lower the blade at Ander’s throat.  
“What is The Connection,” Ander asked.   
“It’s a bridge between both Elsa’s… and yours,” replied Honeymaren. “A power between the spirit bridge and their power at its rawest potential.”  
Ander couldn’t believe it. There were theories about the origin of his powers, but this was by far the most implausible one. “Then why would this power remain dormant for so long? Neither of my parents had any magic.”  
“Ander,” Elsa began softly, “I believe you. We need to talk to someone who would know about magic, and someone to teach Runa.”  
Ander did not like what was coming from his wife’s mouth. “We can teach her.”  
“Not without our emotions getting in the way. We need to talk to Mara and Margret.”


	11. The Journey North

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A journey to Northuldra reveals the past which needs to be dealt with.

Where the north wind meets the sea  
There’s a river full of memory  
Sleep, my darling, safe and sound  
For in this river all is found

In her waters, deep and true  
Lie the answers and a path for you  
Dive down deep into her sound  
But not too far or you’ll be drowned

Yes, she will sing to those who’ll hear  
And in her song, all magic flows  
But can you brave what you most fear?  
Can you face what the river knows?

Where the north wind meets the sea  
There’s a mother full of memory  
Come, my darling, homeward bound  
When all is lost, then all is found  
The song always calmed Runa. Ander noticed the peace of his daughter’s face. It has been three weeks since her failed kidnapping, thankfully the girl did not have nightmares which is something both Ander and Elsa feared. For if what is said is true, then her powers dwarf those of her parents. Elsa laid Runa down into bed and tucked her in. There guest had arrived the night before, much to Ander’s displeasure.   
Mara was waiting for them in the living room. She made herself at home, stretching herself out on the couch. She always wore her leather armor and bore her two shortswords at her hip. Ander did not want the woman to teach his daughter control over her magic, pleading with his wife that they be the ones to teach her. Elsa said that their own emotions would hold them back, that they couldn’t teach Runa because she is their daughter.   
“You know how to keep a woman waiting Ander,” Mara said haughtily. Her gaze met his and then turned to meet Elsa’s. “And I see that the good queen has finally gotten some good sense about her and contacted me to do what she cannot.”  
Elsa remained silent and gave Mara a cold gaze. “Yes, we need you to teach Runa how to control her powers.” She and Ander took a seat. Ander noticed the tension in his wife, no doubt she had bile in her throat, almost as much as he did no doubt.   
“Mara, we’re going to Northuldra,” Ander said. “We need to find out who or what we’re dealing with.” The original plan was for Ander to go alone, but Runa said that it would be best if her papa had his partner.   
“You need to go to Ahtohallan,” Mara said. The woman had helped Ander study Northuldra and the magics that surround it, but once Ander found the scroll, he stopped studying. “Just because it’s a place for your wife, that doesn’t mean that there’s nothing there for you, provided you don’t melt it.”  
“And what’s there for me,” Ander asked. He had never been to Ahtohallan, for the place was for his wife, it was her fortress and a place for her.   
“Obviously answers,” Mara retorted. “I studied Northuldra and that separate faction that chief with a stick up her ass mentioned. Nasty bunch. If they had succeeded then the world would be dealing with more monsters, and I don’t mean the ones with scales and claws.” She rose and poured herself some water. “There is an easier answer to all this you know.”  
“And what’s that,” Elsa asked.  
“A swift knife to the heart.” Ander nearly flung himself at the woman, but Elsa kept him down. “Ander think about it. You’re practically a cripple to these people, absolutely worthless. Now your daughter is a different story. She is akin to a god to them and they want her, no doubt to bring wrath and destruction, that sort of thing.”  
The words stung, for Ander knew that his daughter will be hunted for the rest of her life until they found out who or what was pursuing her. This wasn’t the life he wanted for her; Ander wanted Runa to be free of the life he lived.   
“You don’t have to be so cruel,” Elsa said coldly.   
“It’s not cruelty, it’s a fact of life. Ander here is useless to them, they want power and that girl has power, stronger than anything that should exist.” She sat back down and crossed her legs. “Plainly said, the world would be better if your daughter was dead.”  
“Who are you to decide that,” Ander yelled. He was angry, for Runa and Elsa was his world and he would do whatever to protect his world.   
“Oh, calm down,” Mara said in a calm tone. “I’ll teach your little brat. Now to discuss my payment.” Ander saw the cruelest smile grow on her face, pointed directly towards Elsa.   
“Please,” his wife said softly. Ander knew the price Mara spoke of, for his wife to beg the woman. “Teach my daughter control, do what I cannot.”  
Mara’s smile grew exponentially. “Very good. I’ll be staying here. And I’ll teach your girl a bit of swordplay, free of charge. I’ve seen that little sword you had made for her; it’ll be a good thing for her to learn. Take note however, I won’t be putting my life on the line for her. If it comes down to it, I will gladly trade her life for my own.”  
The next morning Ander and Elsa began to ready their horses. Runa was at the stables as well, her little shortsword at her hip, she was fighting back the tears alongside Anna and Kristoff. There was no telling how long the journey would be, for if they took the long and safe path it would take nearly a month to reach Ahtohallan. Ander didn’t want to risk their lives unnecessarily, for if he or Elsa lost their lives then what would be the point of this journey.  
“Taking your time dear,” Mara asked as she walked up to them. She placed a hand on Runa’s shoulder, very gently Ander noticed, something that was foreign. Ander felt that Mara would treat Runa poorly, but knew she would train her well. “Don’t worry, your little girl is safe with me.”   
Runa looked up at the woman and gave a little smile. “Mama says you’re a good teacher.”  
“I am,” Mara confirmed. “Your father would have been a better teacher though.” Ander noticed there was a sweetness in the woman’s voice. “Now, say your farewells to your parents. We have much work to do.” Runa went and hugged her mother and father and departed with Mara.  
“Will she be okay,” Anna asked.  
“She will,” Ander said. He knew Mara wouldn’t do anything to harm the girl on purpose, despite Mara herself being an ass at times. “Mara is better with magic than Margret and she knows swordplay just as well as any witcher. Why, she may be an even better swordsman than me when we get back.”   
Elsa gave a small chuckle. “I doubt she’ll be that good.” Anna and Kristoff said their farewells and returned to the castle, leaving the witcher and his wife alone. “Do you think she’ll be okay?” Ander heard the worry in his wife’s voice.  
“She will,” Ander said, reassuring her. He continued to saddle Horse. Nokk was ready to go, for the water spirit did not need to be saddled like a regular horse, only to be frozen over just enough to be able to ride on land. Elsa suggested they both ride Nokk to Ahtohallan, making it only a day’s journey, but Elsa had a connection to the spirits that Ander did not possess. After learning the truth of his own powers, he understood why the spirits did not care for him.   
They departed soon afterwards. They kept at a steady pace, no point running Horse ragged. It would take months to figure out the truth and Horse, while a good horse over the years, is only a normal horse. They took the road to Northuldra to the border. From there they would have to take a path that went around much of the territory that monsters still claimed. Ander noticed that the villages that bordered the land started having people again, not populace like the villages that were close to Arendelle, but they had small hints of life in them.   
It took three days to reach the border. The closest village had a ghoul problem that Ander and Elsa dealt with. The villagers wanted to give them a reward for their efforts, but the two declined. Ander saw that the stones marking each spirit was starting to be rebuilt, as if someone or something was trying to rebuild them.   
“Has anyone been in Northuldra since we were here last,” Ander asked. He noticed something at the stones. Offerings. They weren’t much, simple things, some jewelry, and something the witcher was not expecting. A medallion. Ander went over and inspected the medallion and recognized it. It was one that came from Kaer Ysgol, freshly made from the look of things.   
“No,” Elsa answered softly. Ander saw her close her eyes and pressed a hand to one of the stones. “The spirits… they’re waiting for us.”   
“How would the stone giants or Bruni make it across the Dark Sea to Ahtohallan?” Gale could easily cross, but Bruni and the stone giants could not fly or swim. Elsa extended a hand to which the witcher took. He was back in the world where the king and queen stood. They were there, waiting for them. Elsa exclaimed softly, for she hadn’t seen her parents in years.   
“Hello Elsa, Ander,” King Agnarr said. “It’s been a while.” As the specter spoke, Ander could feel his medallion humming violently. Ander drew his silver sword and stood in-between the spirits and his wife.   
“Who are you,” the witcher asked.   
“Spirits long forgotten,” Queen Iduna said.   
“Ander, what are you doing.” Ander could hear the traces of confusion in his wife’s voice. “Those are my parents.”  
“We’re not your parents,” the spirit in the shape of Agnarr said. “Ander, you were here with the king and queen years ago. We, however, are not them.”  
“You’re a manifestation,” Ander said. “You can’t physically harm us.” He sheathed his sword. Manifestations are nothing more than spirits who act as guides, sometimes useful, sometimes harmful. “So why bring us here? You’re not the spirits of the elements, so what are you exactly.”  
“We are those who tried to bend the magic to our will,” the manifestation in the form of Iduna said. “We made the terrible mistake to steal from the spirits and died in the process for an ideal. We knew what wrath it would bring, the destruction that would follow, we just didn’t care.”  
“There is a chamber in Ahtohallan,” the manifestation in the form of Agnarr said. “One that will require both of you, for your wife will freeze should she attempt to enter it alone.”  
“In case you didn’t realize, I’m powerless.” Ander’s powers haven’t fully come back in the years since they were, once again, taken to pay for something. He could still sense Elsa and Runa, but he couldn’t manifest the flame that slept within him.  
“It is not a chamber of memory, but a jail.”  
“A wraith,” Ander said softly. The Agnarr shaped spirit confirmed this, that this wraith was the first to ever receive this power. “What do we need to do?”  
“This wraith needs to be put to rest, for with its passing, those who wish to abuse this power cannot use their ritual. Your child is The Connection. She is to be the host for this spirit, for when the wraith enters her body, the spirit will have control over all the magic that dwells within Northuldra.”  
The spirits left, leaving Ander and Elsa alone at the stones. They began to make their way to Ahtohallan. Ander would often keep watch at night, for witchers don’t need much sleep. Elsa would keep watch so he could rest for a bit, but Ander didn’t get much sleep. Nightmares troubled him. He would often see Runa, her body lifeless. Their journey took five weeks since they departed from Arendelle, but they had finally reached their goal. They crossed an ice bridge made by Elsa. Ander tied Horse to ice that jutted from the ground, to ensure that his mount not run off.   
They reached the antechamber within Ahtohallan. Ander had never been inside the magical place, but upon gazing upon it he could understand why his wife chose to stay here. He could feel his medallion humming ever since they arrived, but now it was vibrating violently. Elsa was trying to find the vision of the past where they sealed the wraith. Ander saw the ritual used to seal the soul away, a common one that would keep the spirit from passing on, and a path opened, to which they descended, Ander’s silver sword in hand. It was cold, even for Elsa, for the witcher saw how his wife shivered.   
They came to a chamber with a frozen skeleton chained to the ground. The bones began to glow an etherical blue. The wraith violently erupted from the bones with a bone chilling scream. It had a skeletal face and rags covered its body. It was also in an ethereal form, making physical attacks useless.   
“Who are you,” it rasped. Ander heard the spirit breathe deep. “Ah, a descendant and a spirit of Northuldra. Why have you disturbed my rest?”  
“We’re here to put an end to you,” the witcher said. The wraith laughed eerily. Ander looked over at Elsa who used frozen chains to hold the wraith down. The spirit tried to break free and was quite strong from the strain Ander saw on his wife’s face. He walked over to the spirit and began an old incantation, one they taught witchers when putting a spirit to rest wouldn’t work peacefully. It would act to kill a spirit’s physical form to force them to pass over. The wraith began to lose it wraithlike form and began to manifest its physical form.   
The wraith broke the chains and sent Ander flying. Luckily, he had just finished the incantation, for they wouldn’t get another chance. “You think you can keep me, Ivar the Firstborn, down?” Ivar brought his ghostly hand to Elsa but was repelled by her ice. Ander took his sword and slashed the wraith, causing it to scream violently. He shot Igni at the skeletal remains which would cause the bones to catch fire and was used to weaken the spirit. Ander drove the silver blade into the wraith, causing it to disperse and giving it peace. He could feel the room warm slightly, losing its bone chilling cold.   
They made their way back to their steeds. The cold had gotten to Horse, causing the horse to freeze to death. Nokk was waiting patiently for them both. Ander grabbed whatever supplies he could from Horse, a few bombs, flasks of witcher potions, and some food. Not that they would need it. Since Nokk was the only way back, the trip back to Arendelle would be quick.   
They took the river down the fjord and was met with horror upon returning to Arendelle. War had come to Arendelle.


	12. War

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Runa starts her training while her parents are in Northuldra. She discovers that her powers are harder to control than she expected.

Runa was saddened that she had to say farewell to her mama and papa but knew that they would be home soon. They had only left yesterday, and she already missed them dearly. Mistress Mara said they would start training today, something to help keep her mind off everything. She wore a child size leather jerkin, leather pants and boots and bore the small sword her father had made for her at her hip.   
Mistress Mara found Runa in her room in the castle. She insisted that they stay in the castle due to it being a more fortified area, something Aunt Anna agreed upon. Runa noticed her aunt did not like the trollop, as her mama often called Mara.   
“Are you ready girl,” Mara asked. She had a steely tone with Runa, something the girl didn’t care for. She also noticed that the woman did not care for her mama, which is something Runa couldn’t understand since her mama was a kind woman. Runa followed Mara out to the training grounds, an area just behind the castle. She also saw that four gems hovered around the grounds.  
“What are those gems,” Runa asked the woman. Each gem was a different color, red, black, white, and blue. She felt something… magical about those gems.  
“Those are foci, and if I’m correct, each one will resonate with you,” the woman answered. “I need to figure out what elements course through your body. If I’m correct, then each crystal will glow.” Runa stood in the middle of the circle the gems formed. Each gem remained a dull color, not glowing like the woman expected. “Looks like you’re as useless as I expected.”  
That angered Runa. She wasn’t useless, she was the daughter of a witcher and a spirit, two of the greatest people in the world. "Well, you’re just some stupid trollop,” Runa exclaimed. That caused the woman to laugh, and to her surprise, the gems to glow.  
“Looks like you picked up your father’s temper,” Mara said with a chuckle. Each gem glowed furiously, almost blinding. “And looks like I was right, each gem is resonating with you.” The woman spoke an incantation and the gems grew dull in color again. Runa felt dizzy, as she did when the men took her. She felt her knees buckle, to which Mara picked her up and cradled her. “Looks like you can’t keep it up, something you must have gotten from your mother.”  
When Runa gathered her strength again, she stood in the middle of the circle again. Mistress Mara instructed that she pull that magical energy and make them glow without getting mad. The glowed slightly since the memory of the magic she felt was still fresh in her mind. Runa could feel her strength fading again, but she remained on her feet.  
“Why is it so difficult to maintain this,” the girl asked. “How was my mama and papa able to use magic so freely when they were my age?”  
“Because they were half of a whole power,” the woman answered. “Your mother had snow magic and your father had fire, something that was tied to Northuldra, but they were only half the power. You have the whole power, so it will take longer to control.” Mara’s tone was kinder than before, something Runa appreciated. “Why it took such a traumatic event such as being kidnapped to reveal your powers, I don’t know. This will take time to master, my idiot apprentice.”  
Runa kept at the circle for three days. She made little progress it seemed to her. The gems remained at a low glow each day. The fire and ice the girl conjured the day of her kidnapping seemed like an impossible task.   
“It’s not working,” she complained to Mara in the afternoon.   
“It will work,” the woman replied in her ever-calm voice. “Magic takes time to manifest, unless you want another traumatic event and accidentally burn or freeze half this kingdom.” She walked inside the circle and placed a hand on Runa’s shoulder. The girl was tired, eve though all she did was make rocks glow. “With any luck, your father will be able to stop whoever is pursuing you and it will advert a war.”  
“There’s a war coming?” Runa didn’t want a war to come to Arendelle. It was her home, and if what King Hans says is true, then war is a horrible thing. The king of the Southern Isles left a small retinue behind to help bolster the defenses of Arendelle, something her Aunt Anna appreciated. Runa suspected that her aunt still loathed the man since he did try to kill Runa’s aunt and mama.   
“Most fanatics won’t stop until they are all dead. Is there a war coming? I don’t know. But you need to be ready in case you are backed into a corner.”  
Something burned in Runa. It was her magic, something that was so familiar yet so foreign. Each gem started glowing brightly. This time, the girl was using her powers subconsciously. She saw a small smile grow on Mara’s face. It suited the woman well.   
“Very good,” the woman said. “Now keep this up for a few hours.” Runa did as she was instructed, maintaining the brightness of the gems until it was sundown. Her legs felt like jelly, but she stood strong. “Not bad, you’re slower than what it took me to maintain the glow like this, but you’ve taken the first steps.”  
Runa slept well that night. She was proud of herself, for this was the first steps to understanding herself. She woke and dressed before Mistress Mara came for her. Runa had stayed nights in the castle here and there, but not for more than a night. She wondered why her mama and papa would want to live in such a small home when the castle was so much bigger. In all honesty, she was starting to prefer the castle’s room, which was her mama’s, that to her room in the home her father built.   
The following morning, Mistress Mara had set up the circle again, this time however there looked to be targets surrounding the circle.   
“Today, you’re going to try and manifest the magic into your hands,” the woman explained. “Focus the magic into your hands.” Runa tried to focus the magic into her hands, but it was difficult to do. At most she was only able to generate a small spark of fire or ice cubes. Runa was frustrated with herself. “It’s okay. It will take time to manifest your powers freely child.”   
“But why is this so hard,” Runa complained. “These are supposed to be my powers, yet I cannot do anything.”  
“Your power is great, so it will take longer to gain control over. You mustn’t be afraid.”  
“I’m not afraid!”  
“You are, and for good reason. Your mother and father’s power is greater than an enchantress’s power, and yours dwarfs theirs. If you don’t learn to control it, eventually it will kill you if you unleash it like you did the day you were kidnapped.”  
“So, what do I do?” Runa wanted to learn to control her powers, to be strong like her mama and papa.   
“Practice.” Runa saw Mara conjure something and then she was hit with a snowball. Mara gave a small chuckle. “Your father used to have snowballs thrown at him at Kaer Ysgol and they would make him steam something furious.”  
“Do you love my papa,” Runa asked. She noticed that when her teacher talked about her papa, she would have a certain kindness about her voice.  
“My, there’s wisdom with this child,” she answered with a chuckle. “I do care deeply for your father, but his heart belongs to your mother.”  
“Is that why you don’t like mama and why she calls you a trollop?”  
Mara gave a small laugh. “Yes, on both.” She conjured a snowball and threw it at the girl again, to which Runa laughed furiously. “Now, practice and we’ll have a proper snowball fight.”  
Runa kept at it for another week. Then she finally formed a snowball. It was a measly thing, half the size of Mara’s, but it was progress. She chucked it at her teacher and was met with a laugh. Mara praised the girl, then said that it could have been a bigger snowball.   
Her Aunt Anna also praised the girl. Runa didn’t even realize when the woman came into the training grounds. “How’s your training,” she asked.  
“I can make a snowball now,” Runa exclaimed.   
“She’s doing well,” Mara began, “though I would prefer that you would come announced Your Grace.” Mara’s voice was like steel when addressing anyone other than Runa as of late. “So, unless you want the kingdom to be turned to ash or become frozen over, I suggest you leave us alone.”  
Anna left without a word, just a scowl on her face. Runa kept at her training. She learned to manifest the snowball a little bigger, then was able to make a small fireball, much to her teacher’s surprise.   
“I wasn’t expecting you to manifest your father’s side for quite some time,” the woman said. “How did you pull that off?”  
“It’s all the same,” Runa said proudly. “If I can do one, I can surely do the other.”  
“Quite so,” Mara said.   
They kept at the training, making the days fly by. Mara praised Runa for her progress, for the girl was able to manifest her powers at a greater effect than when she first started. She was able to make fireballs, snowballs, even conjure snowfall like how her mother used to as a child. Mara said that with a few years, she may even be able to teach the girl how to use other magic. It was at that time Runa heard an explosion. People started screaming, carrying buckets of water towards the docks. Mara ran towards the girl and carried her away. Runa knew her teacher would protect her, at least until her mama and papa returned. They were close, judging by the way she was able to sense them.   
Mara took Runa to the throne room where Anna was rallying soldiers. Runa heard they was people attacking civilians in the streets, all with the symbol of the black moon. Some guards were already meeting them head-on, pushing them back.   
“Where did they come from,” her teacher asked. Runa could hear the worry in her voice. “How did they get into the kingdom when you put in place all the guards?”  
“I don’t know,” Anna replied. She was in her leather armor, sword in hand. Uncle Kristoff was also there with a sword. Runa knew he was trained by General Mattias before she was born, but her aunt was a better fighter. “We need to push them back.”  
“Go, I’ll take care of Runa.” That was the first time Mara called Runa by her name in front of other people. Anna left with the guards leaving Runa and Mara alone. “Runa, if push comes to shove, I want you to run.”  
Runa could hardly believe her teacher’s words. “Why should I run? They’re after me aren’t they so- “  
“So these people are after you, and I promised that I would protect you.” Mara passed the girl anything, I’m sure you know how to swing a toy sword.” Runa nodded. “Good.”   
Runa could feel her parents closing in. They were just arriving back home but would be slowed down by the fighting. She was frightened, even by her teacher, Runa was scared. If these people took her, would she see her family again? She saw Mara look down at the ground. Runa looked down too and saw the ice surrounding her. Mara took her in an embrace, whispering that it will be okay.  
It was not okay, however. Three men came into the throne room. How did they sneak past Anna and the guards? Each man was armed with swords, two men wore robes and hoods that covered their faces, and one man armored in chain armor.  
“Give us the girl,” the man in the chain armor said. He was a man of forty, bald with a grey beard. “If you hand her over to us, we will leave peacefully.”  
Mara drew her swords. “Like hell I will.” The two men in robes leapt at her teacher, Runa hid behind the thrones. She looked out and saw that the men were pressing her teacher, hard. For a woman who was trained by witchers, she was having a hard time keeping up with the men. Eventually the woman was able to push them back, causing them to gush a red river. Runa could feel her parents closing in, not much longer. The man in the chain armor grabbed at Runa, a dagger to her throat. Mara looked on in horror.  
“Either you allow us to leave, or she will have a new smile,” the man said. Mara was slowly circling the man. Something stirred within Runa. It was powerful, intoxicating even. She was scared, but this power made her feel strong. Runa could hear her teacher calling for her, begging her to calm down. The girl didn’t and let the power flow through her. The man screamed in pain. Let him burn, a voice said. Show him your strength. Runa let out a scream. This power was hurting her, but she felt a certain high with it. The man was gone, she could hear Mara calling for her but what could Runa do against this… addiction? The world began to spin around and fade. And then nothing.


	13. The Sacrifice

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After a terrible loss, a sacrifice must be made.

The fighting was no more than small skirmishes. Ander saw Anna fighting against a few cultists. They were no more than people flailing daggers and swords around, no match for the warrior queen of Arendelle. He felt a shockwave come from the castle. It was magical in origin. Was it Mara or Runa? Could Runa even manifest something like that? The shockwave was bigger than what the girl produced before. He and his wife sprinted towards the castle, clearing away bands of cultists.  
When they reached the castle, Ander and Elsa saw a little girl with white hair laying on the floor. She was gone, they were too late. Runa laid lifeless on the floor of the throne room. Her assailant was dead, practically burned away. Mara was lying on the floor beside the small girl, trying to breathe life into her. Elsa ran towards her daughter, Ander practically hit the floor. He had failed.  
“What happened,” Elsa asked violently. She was shaking Mara who couldn’t take her eyes off Runa. “What happened?!”   
“She let too much out,” Mara replied softly. “She let her emotions get the best of her and she let too much out.”  
Elsa burst into tears, cradling the body of her daughter, begging her not to be gone. Mara slowly rose and walked towards Ander. She put a hand on his shoulder. “I’m sorry,” she said. Ander could tell from looking in her eyes, she meant it. He knew that deep down, she wouldn’t let anything happen to Runa because she was a piece of Ander and he knew of Mara’s true feelings about him. Then he saw something in Mara’s eyes. Determination. “Ander I’m sorry, but you need to move your wife.”  
Elsa looked at the woman in disbelief. “I’ll move when you make me you trollop,” she said coldly. Ander could feel the temperature in the room drop drastically. Tears still flowed down his wife’s face.   
“That can be arranged.” Mara walked over to Runa’s body and pushed Elsa away. She placed on the body. Ander knew what she was about to do. Mara said an incantation that paralyzed the witcher and his wife.   
“Mara, what are you doing,” Ander asked.  
“What needs to be done.” She began an incantation. Ander knew it too well. Life transference, a forbidden spell locked away in tomes at Kaer Ysgol. He tried to scream for Mara to stop, but the woman continued with her spell. Her voice rang in his head after a moment. I’m sorry that I couldn’t protect your daughter. Part of me wishes this were our little bundle of joy. I hated that white-haired bitch for years because she always had something I wanted. Your heart. I see that heart break before me, and I weep as you have. This is my last farewell. Goodbye. I love you.   
Mara collapsed, her hair white and grey, her body lifeless. Ander and Elsa were freed from the spell and ran over to the two bodies that lay in the throne room. Runa still laid motionless. Did the spell fail? Did Mara sacrifice her life for nothing? Ander went and cradled the body of his daughter. Then he felt a small pair of arms around him in a tight embrace.   
“She wanted me to give you this before she departed.” Tears fell down Runa’s face, bittersweet tears, for while she lived and she was able to see her family again, the woman who taught her was dead. Mara’s spell was successful, and at a great cost. Elsa was kissing Runa greatly. “Mara said she’s sorry and wanted you to have this.” The girl threw her arms around her mother too and held onto both parents tightly.   
Runa was practicing at the dummy, spinning around it with her sword. It had been two years since the events that took the life of her teacher. Ander taught his daughter how to use a sword rather than the magic within her, for the girl wanted to do that by herself. Elsa took over Ander’s spot as right hand of Anna and together, the sisters restored Arendelle and began to carve a path to reclaim the lands of Northuldra. Arendelle had grown enough that it needed the lands of Northuldra. By the castle, there stood a memorial to those that gave their lives to protect Runa. Some people hated the girl, for if she hadn’t been born then the tragedy would have been avoided. They hated Ander too, for, even though he spent a year dismantling the organization, if he had stayed in Arendelle he could have led the defense against the cultists and would have halved the losses. But the witcher didn’t care what people thought of him, so long as his daughter was safe. Anything else would be a shame to the memory of one of the greatest women he knew. He missed Mara. If he stayed with her, all this pointless bloodshed would have been avoided. Before the nightmares, Ander considered staying with the woman. He knew, he always knew how the woman felt for him. They would have had a happy life, even if it wasn’t his home. Those thoughts fade when Ander sees his wife. There had been much bloodshed in his life, all to put him back home, for home is not a place nor a person, home is where you can lay your heart open. And his home is with Runa and Elsa. This was his home. And damn whoever tries to disturb his home.

**Author's Note:**

> Okie dokie, first chapter! Much excitement! I hope everyone liked it. We will be posting chapters weekly on Tuesday night.


End file.
